Newly elected US President Donald Trump has struck again after joking about making Canada the “51st state” of the US. This time, he has called Justin Trudeau, Canada's prime minister, “governor,” a post that refers to the executive head of a U.S. state. Trump made the comments on Truth Social, a social media network he owns, more than a week after attending a dinner with Trudeau at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
“It was a pleasure to recently have dinner with Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada. I look forward to seeing the Governor again soon so we can continue our in-depth conversations on tariffs and trade, the results of which will be truly spectacular for everyone,” the Republican leader said.
The Nov. 30 dinner meeting, which saw Trudeau arrive from Ottawa, followed a warning from Trump to slap 25% tariffs on Canadian imports unless the country cracks down on immigrants trying to cross the southern border.
Trudeau had argued that such high tariffs would “kill” the Canadian economy, after which Trump jokingly suggested that Canada would become the 51st US state to avoid the tariffs. Trump's comment caused Trudeau to laugh nervously, Fox News reported.
This would make Canada a very liberal state, someone at the meeting noted, prompting even more laughter. Trump played along, telling Trudeau that Canada could become two states and that he could become governor if he can't meet his list of demands.
Canadian trade is heavily dependent on the US, which alone consumes about three-quarters of its goods and services, and high tariffs would seriously harm the Canadian economy.
After the dinner, Trudeau said he had “an excellent conversation” with Trump, but refrained from making any comments about tariffs and the relationship with the newly elected president.
Trump had also called it a “very productive meeting” in which they discussed a range of topics. Fentanyl, a drug that threatens a serious epidemic in the US, also played a role in the talks, as did illegal immigration, the US-Canada trade deficit and fair trade deals, Trump said.
