President-elect Trump keeps talking about making Canada part of the US, so much so that Bloomberg reports "it no longer sounds like a joke." The latest salvo came Tuesday, when Trump during his Mar-a-Lago news conference was asked whether he would ever consider using military force to annex Canada. "No," he responded. "Economic force. Because Canada and the United States, that would really be something. You get rid of that artificially-drawn line and you take a look at what that looks like, and it would also be much better for national security—don't forget, we basically protect Canada."
Outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has reacted defiantly to the suggestion, but the head of Canada's most populous province is responding in more of a Trump-like manner:
- "You know something, to the president, I'll make him a counteroffer," Ontario's Doug Ford told reporters on Monday, per CTV News. "How about if we buy Alaska, and we'll throw in Minnesota and Minneapolis at the same time." Ford later made clear to CNN that he was joking.
The consensus among officials north of the border seems to be that Trump is trying to "rattle Canadian cages" with the comments, as former Trudeau adviser Gerald Butts tells the
Hill. As for residents, 82% say they want no part of becoming a 51st state, according to a recent Leger poll, per the
Canadian Press. The survey found that 13% of Canadians like the idea. (More
President-elect Trump stories.)
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