It’s long been a point of contention, but that hasn’t stopped President Donald Trump from frequently—and publicly—expressing his desire to annex Canada and have it become the 51st U.S. state. The idea has been firmly shut down by former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his successor, Mark Carney. The latter of which has plainly said: “It will never happen.” But where do things currently stand in the Canada annexation row?
During an interview at the NATO Summit in the Netherlands on Tuesday, Carney was asked whether Trump is still saying he wants to annex Canada, to which the Canadian Prime Minister replied: “He’s not.”
“He admires Canada, I think it’s fair to say, and maybe for a period of time coveted Canada. We’re two sovereign nations discussing the future of our trade relationships, our defense partnership,” Carney told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour. “The President is focused on a series of changing bilateral relations… Making sure all members of NATO, Canada included, pay their fair share.”
Both Trump and Carney are notable presences at the 2025 NATO Summit, during which a 5% GDP defense budget target is a key focus point for global leaders across the board.
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In May, Trump offered Canada protection under his proposed Golden Dome missile defense system. “It will cost zero dollars if they become our cherished 51st State. They are considering the offer!” he claimed on Truth Social, adding that it would cost Canada $61 billion dollars otherwise, should they want to be part of the Golden Dome but maintain their sovereignty.
Canada was quick to shut down any notion that it was considering the bargain. “The Prime Minister has been clear at every opportunity, including in his conversations with President Trump, that Canada is an independent, sovereign nation, and it will remain one,” the Canadian Prime Minister’s office said in a statement to the press.
Trump has long argued that Canada should become the 51st state, saying that the incorporation of the United States’ northern neighbour would be beneficial to Canadians, an argument he doubled down on amid heightened tensions over his tariffs, which Trudeau—who Trump famously goaded by calling “Governor Trudeau”—and Carney have expressed deep concern over.
Amid the tariff debates in March, Trump again attempted to use the annexing notion as a bargaining chip. “The only thing that makes sense is for Canada to become our cherished 51st State. This would make all tariffs, and everything else, totally disappear,” he suggested.
“The biggest risk we have to this economy is Donald Trump… he’s trying to break us so he can own us,” Carney fired back during his election campaign. ”We’re all going to stand up against Donald Trump. I’m ready.”
The ongoing back-and-forth has been further complicated by the fact that some separatists in the Canadian province of Alberta see Trump as an ally, and have even started a “Make Alberta Great Again” campaign.
During his April 22 interview with TIME, Trump denied that he was “trolling” when talking about his desire to annex Canada.
“We’re taking care of their military. We’re taking care of every aspect of their lives… We don’t need anything from Canada. And I say the only way this thing really works is for Canada to become a state,” he said.
Read More: Secretary of State Marco Rubio Speaks Out on Trump’s Plans to Annex the Country
When Trump and Carney sat down for a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on May 6, the issue was once again dredged up, with Trump brazenly saying in front of the Canadian Prime Minister that an annexation would “really be a wonderful marriage.” To which a clearly uncomfortable Carney replied by reiterating that Canada “is not for sale.” Trump’s response? “Never say never.”
While Carney’s NATO comments appear to suggest the dialogue and tension has since settled down, it would be of little surprise to many if Trump returned to his rhetoric further down the line.
In May, Trump vowed to “always” talk about his keenness to annex the neighbouring country.
“I’ll always talk about that. You know why? We subsidize Canada to the tune of $200 billion a year,” he claimed. “If Canada was a state it wouldn’t cost us. It would be great. It would be such a great—it would be a cherished state… What a beautiful country it would be.”
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