OTTAWA- After President-elect Trump suggested the idea of using “economic force” to acquire Canada as the 51st state during his Mar-a-Lago news conference on Tuesday, outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded via social media, stating that “there isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States.”
As Trudeau announced on Monday his intention to resign once the Liberal Party selects his successor, the most significant opposition to Trump’s proposal to annex Canada – alongside his planned 25% tariffs on Canadian exports – has emerged from the premier of Ontario, Canada’s most populous province.
Doug Ford, a conservative and former businessman who has been Ontario’s 26th premier since 2018, described Trump’s remarks as both “crazy” and “ridiculous” in an interview with Fox News Digital.
Ford argued that the focus should be on “strengthening” the nearly trillion-dollar two-way trade relationship between Canada and the U.S. to create the richest and most prosperous jurisdiction globally.
At a Toronto news conference on Monday following Trudeau’s resignation announcement, Ford humorously countered Trump’s Canada-as-a-51st state idea with a proposal: “How about if we buy Alaska and throw in Minnesota?”
Ford remarked that after making those comments, he received feedback from Canadians suggesting he should have chosen “somewhere warmer, like Florida or California,” adding, “California never votes for him anyway.”
At his news conference, Ontario’s premier asserted that “under my watch,” the annexation of Canada “will never, ever happen.” Ford is also taking Trump’s tariff threat seriously.
Last month, his Progressive Conservative government initiated a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign in the U.S. on television and streaming platforms, promoting Ontario as an “ally” to bolster “more workers, more trade, more prosperity, and more security.”
“You can rely on Ontario for energy to power your growing economy, and for critical minerals essential for new technologies,” states the 60-second advertisement.
Ford stated that the 25% tariff against Canada, which Trump plans to implement on his first day in office on January 20, could negatively impact millions of American and Canadian workers.
“Nine million Americans produce products for Ontario alone every single day,” he noted. “The issue is China shipping goods into Mexico, and Mexico slapping a made-in-Mexico sticker on them.”
Ontario is prepared to take retaliatory measures to “send a message to the U.S.” regarding the imposition of U.S. tariffs, said Ford, who participated in the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement during Trump’s first administration. He now advocates for separate trade deals between Canada and the U.S. and Mexico.
“It’s unfortunate because retaliation is not beneficial for either country,” he commented, emphasizing that Ontario is the top importer from 17 states and the second largest from 11 others.
“The last thing I want to do is hurt those people; I want to create more jobs in the U.S. and Canada. We can achieve that by strengthening tariffs on places like China.”
For example, Ford explained that “someone in Texas who purchased a GM pickup truck made in Oshawa, [Ontario] might have paid between $50,000 and $60,000, and with a tariff, “would be paying 70 some-odd thousand.”
“It just doesn’t make sense whatsoever,” Ford added.
He expressed a desire for a face-to-face meeting with Trump and has reached out to U.S. senators and governors to facilitate that encounter. A meeting with SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk – whom Trump appointed to lead the proposed “Department of Government Efficiency” – is also on Ford’s agenda.
Ford believes Trump “doesn’t realize” that Ontario is the U.S.’s third-largest trading partner, accounting for about US$344 billion in 2023, “split equally down the center.”
The premier stated he aims to increase the shipment of electricity and critical minerals to the U.S., noting that “the U.S. needs us as much as we need them.”
TRUMP REACTS TO TRUDEAU RESIGNATION: ‘MANY PEOPLE IN CANADA LOVE BEING THE 51ST STATE’
In 2012, the premier and his late brother, Rob, then mayor of Toronto, met Trump and his daughter, Ivanka, when they visited the city for the opening of the former Trump International Hotel and Tower, now known as The St. Regis Toronto.
Ford, who previously ran a Toronto-based family business, Deco Labels & Flexible Packaging, before entering municipal politics in 2010, regards Trump as “a shrewd operator” and “a smart businessperson.”
According to Ford, “Not one senator, not one governor, not one congressperson or businessperson has indicated that Canada is a problem.” He believes Trump is focusing on “the U.S.’s closest friend,” Canada, instead of other allies like the United Kingdom and France.
“I’m not sure if it’s personal against Trudeau, but with Trudeau exiting, hopefully, we can have a better conversation,” Ford remarked, contemplating a potential future in federal politics.
On Monday, Trump posted on Truth Social that “the United States can no longer suffer the massive trade deficits and subsidies that Canada requires to remain viable.”
“Justin Trudeau is aware of this, and resigned,” Trump added in a subsequent post.
However, Trudeau remains in office for now, and Ford, along with the premiers from the other nine provinces and three territories, will meet with him next Wednesday in Ottawa to discuss the Trump tariff issue.
Despite Trudeau’s impending resignation within the next two months when a new Liberal leader is expected to be selected, Ford emphasizes that Trudeau should not feel “off the hook,” as Canadian premiers will “hold his feet to the fire” to ensure Canada is prepared to respond to the Trump administration’s imminent and punitive trade measures.
Ford chairs the Council of the Federation, which has prioritized Canada-U.S. relations and the avoidance of U.S. tariffs, as emphasized in a statement issued last month.
“Canada and the U.S. constitute one of the largest integrated markets globally, with more than C$3.5 billion [approximately US$2.4 billion] worth of goods and services crossing the border daily. The U.S. sells more goods and services to Canada than it does to China, Japan, and Germany combined.”
To address Trump’s concerns regarding border security, Ford’s government launched “Operation Deterrence” on Tuesday to combat illegal crossings, as well as the influx of drugs and guns – of which 90% enter Ontario from the U.S., according to the premier.
On the drug issue, Ford stated his government is collaborating with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to trace the source of fentanyl ingredients, determining whether they originate in “China, Mexico, or the U.S.”
Last month, the Trudeau government unveiled its own border-security initiative.
