On social media, Trump called for Canada to become “the cherished 51st state,” declaring, “No more artificially drawn line from many years ago. Look how beautiful this land mass would be.”
He promised Canadians “free access with NO BORDER,” calling it “ALL POSITIVES WITH NO NEGATIVES” and insisting “IT WAS MEANT TO BE!”
Trump also claimed the US “can no longer subsidize Canada with the Hundreds of Billions of Dollars a year that we have been spending,” adding, “It makes no sense unless Canada is a State!”
The extraordinary comments rattled Canadian voters already grappling with an election dominated by fears of Trump’s trade war and fresh annexation threats.
Until Trump’s intervention, the Conservative Party’s Pierre Poilievre had been favored to defeat new Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney. But Trump’s aggressive rhetoric triggered a last-minute shift, swinging momentum back toward Carney.
Trump, not on the Canadian ballot, nevertheless urged voters to “elect the man who has the strength and wisdom to cut your taxes in half, increase your military power, for free, to the highest level in the World.”
Annexation Threats Take Center Stage
The Liberal Party, facing steep losses just weeks ago, now sees a potential comeback fueled by growing nationalistic sentiment. Carney, a former central bank governor, has campaigned on reducing Canada’s reliance on the US and strengthening economic independence.
Polls show a tight race, with Carney narrowly leading as voters weigh domestic frustrations against the threat of diminished sovereignty under a second Trump presidency.
Nearly 29 million Canadians were eligible to cast ballots to elect 343 members of Parliament. A party needs 172 seats to form a majority — a benchmark that now seems within reach for the Liberals after Trump’s disruptive comments.