Just hours after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation, President-elect Trump on Monday reiterated his proposal that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state.
“Many people in Canada love being our 51st province. The United States can no longer suffer from the huge trade deficits and subsidies that Canada needs to survive. Justin Trudeau said that I resigned knowing that,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“If Canada were to merge with the United States, there would be no tariffs, much lower taxes, and complete protection from the constant threat of Russian and Chinese ships surrounding us. What a great country we would be together. “Sho!!!” he added.
A person familiar with the matter told Fox News in December that Mr. Trump brought the merger proposal directly to Mr. Trudeau when the two met at Mar-a-Lago in late November.
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with President-elect Trump in late November at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, to discuss topics including the economy, illegal immigration and proposed 25% tariffs. (Justin Trudeau X)
That same month, Trudeau flew unannounced to Trump's mansion in Florida after the president-elect threatened to impose steep tariffs on Canadian goods. President Trump has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, citing their failure to curb the flow of illegal immigrants and illegal drugs into the United States.
“We are committed to working together to address the fentanyl and drug crisis that has taken too many lives as a result of illegal immigration, fair trade agreements that do not put American workers at risk, and our massive trade deficit. We discussed many important topics that need to be addressed. The United States is working with Canada,” Trump wrote on Truth Social at the time.
Prime Minister Trudeau announced early this morning that he is resigning as prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with the media outside Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Monday, January 6. (AP/Adrian Wilde/Canadian Press)
“After the party selects its next leader through a national competitive process, I will step down as party leader and prime minister,” Trudeau said in a speech Monday morning. “Last night, I called on the Liberal Party leader to start that process. This country deserves a real choice at the next election. And if I have to fight a domestic battle, I will It was clear to me that I wasn't going to be the best option in that election. ”
Prime Minister Trudeau, who has led Canada for nearly a decade, has suffered a sharp drop in approval ratings for months, citing growing discontent over issues such as the rising cost of living and rising inflation.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center on October 15, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. President Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Canada. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
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Following the sudden resignation of long-serving Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, calls for her resignation have increased from at least seven Liberal MPs and opposition leaders, with Chrystia Freeland expected to He wrote a poignant resignation letter. Prime Minister Trudeau's response to certain economic policies and threats from President Trump.
FOX News' Michael Dorgan, Caitlin McFall and Daniel Wallace contributed to this report.
