Donald Trump was just joking when he told Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that if Canada’s economy can’t function in the face of US tariffs, it should just become the 51st state. At least that’s what Canadian politicians on the government side are rushing to clarify.
Trump made the comment over dinner with Trudeau at Mar-a-Lago after the Canadian PM went stateside in the hopes of establishing a smooth – or smoother – working relationship with the incoming president.
Canada is desperate to avoid the 25% across-the-board tariffs Trump has promised to introduce. The tariffs would hit Canada – and the US – hard, particularly if Trudeau decides to retaliate, which he almost surely will. Cross-border trade between the two countries is worth roughly $1 trillion a year.
On LinkedIn, former Trudeau principal secretary and current Eurasia Group Vice Chairman Gerald Butts noted that this wasn’t the first time Trump had made the 51st state joke.
“Trump used this ‘51st State’ line with Trudeau a lot during his first term. He’s doing it to rattle Canadian cages,” Butts posted before offering a bit of advice.
“When someone is trying to get you to freak out, don’t. #protip”
Good advice.