Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says talk of Canada becoming the 51st state is a distraction from more pressing threats of U.S tariffs on Canada and their likely impact.
In an interview that aired Sunday on MSNBC, he said Canada is ready to respond with retaliatory tariffs should president-elect Donald Trump follow through with a threat to impose 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico when he takes office next week.
Trump has also referred to Canada as the 香蕉视频直播�51st state,香蕉视频直播� a notion federal cabinet ministers initially played off as a joke but now appear to be taking more seriously.
Appearing on 香蕉视频直播淚nside with Jen Psaki,香蕉视频直播� Trudeau said Canadians need to take Trump香蕉视频直播檚 expansionist rhetoric seriously, and that there is a certain amount of 香蕉视频直播渇lattery香蕉视频直播� in Trump seeing how great the country is.
香蕉视频直播淎nd I know that, as a successful negotiator, (Trump) likes to keep people a little off-balance. The 51st state, that香蕉视频直播檚 not going to happen. It香蕉视频直播檚 just a non-starter. Canadians are incredibly proud of being Canadian,香蕉视频直播� said Trudeau, who taped the appearance while in the United States to attend Thursday香蕉视频直播檚 funeral for former president Jimmy Carter.
香蕉视频直播淏ut people are now talking about that, as opposed to talking about, for example, what the impact (would be) of 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum coming into the United States, on energy, whether it香蕉视频直播檚 oil and gas or electricity.香蕉视频直播�
Trudeau said he was able to negotiate with Trump in a mutually-beneficial Canada-U. S. free trade deal the last time each was in office, despite it being 香蕉视频直播渉ard香蕉视频直播� because of Trump香蕉视频直播檚 negotiation behaviour.
香蕉视频直播淏ut we got to a good outcome that was win-win for both of us,香蕉视频直播� Trudeau told Psaki, a former White House press secretary.
As for Trump calling Trudeau a 香蕉视频直播済overnor,香蕉视频直播� Trudeau said: 香蕉视频直播淚 have been in politics an awfully long time. I tend to focus on the substantive things, not on people choosing nicknames for me. I mean, if I was that thin-skinned, I probably wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 last that long in politics.香蕉视频直播�
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith made her own an appeal to Trump this weekend, posting on social media that she spent time at his Mar-a-Lago residence and met with him and key allies in the incoming administration.
Smith said the pair had a 香蕉视频直播渇riendly and constructive香蕉视频直播� conversation on the importance of the U.S.-Canada energy relationship, and how U.S. jobs are supported by Albertan exports.
In one photo she shared online, Smith is seen standing next to Trump and Canadian businessman Kevin O香蕉视频直播橪eary.
香蕉视频直播淥n behalf of Albertans, I will continue to engage in constructive dialogue and diplomacy with the incoming administration and elected federal and state officials from both parties, and will do all I can to further Alberta香蕉视频直播檚 and Canada香蕉视频直播檚 interests,香蕉视频直播� Smith wrote.
香蕉视频直播淲e need to preserve our independence while we grow this critical partnership for the benefit of Canadians and Americans for generations to come.香蕉视频直播�
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said Canadians need to 香蕉视频直播渂e ready香蕉视频直播� for economic threats, saying all leaders need to put Canada first and show a united front.
香蕉视频直播漌e have to be very realistic, very pragmatic, and we have to be ready, because something we can香蕉视频直播檛 do is not to take president-elect Trump at his word. Because when he says something, he usually does it,香蕉视频直播� she said Sunday on CBC香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播淩osemary Barton Live.香蕉视频直播�
She went on to say Ottawa is pursuing a strategy to engage the incoming U.S. administration through measures that include a new border plan, developing military alliances and co-operating on energy issues.
香蕉视频直播淎nd at the same time, we香蕉视频直播檙e working on a retaliation plan,香蕉视频直播� said Joly.
香蕉视频直播淚 can香蕉视频直播檛 go into the details of that retaliation plan, because I think it would be a bad strategy. But what I can tell you is everything is on the table.香蕉视频直播�
Former prime minister Jean Chr茅tien also weighed in on U.S relations over the weekend, spending his 91st birthday telling Trump to 香蕉视频直播済ive (his) head a shake.香蕉视频直播�
In an opinion article published in the Globe and Mail on Saturday, Chr茅tien said his birthday called for celebration with family and friends, but also a look back at how the country has changed over the years. He made a pitch for Canadian politicians to work together against Trump香蕉视频直播檚 threats.
香蕉视频直播淚 can tell you Canadians prize our independence. We love our country. We have built something here that is the envy of the world 香蕉视频直播� when it comes to compassion, understanding, tolerance and finding a way for people of different backgrounds and faiths to live together in harmony,香蕉视频直播� wrote Chr茅tien, who was prime minister from 1993 to 2003.
香蕉视频直播淲e built a nation across the most rugged, challenging geography imaginable. And we did it against the odds. We may look easygoing. Mild-mannered. But make no mistake, we have spine and toughness.香蕉视频直播�
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 12, 2025.
Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press
