Trudeau dismisses Trump’s "51st state" comments as distraction from tariff threats
Date
1/11/2025 3:37:54 AM
(MENAFN) Canada's outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded strongly Thursday to US President-elect Donald Trump's comments about potentially annexing Canada, calling them a distraction from the more pressing issue of tariffs on key Canadian exports.
Speaking to CNN while in Washington, D.C. to attend the state funeral of former US President Jimmy Carter, Trudeau dismissed Trump's suggestion of making Canada the "51st state."
"That's not going to happen. Canadians are incredibly proud of being Canadian. One of the ways we define ourselves most easily is, well, we're not American. There is such a depth of pride that that's not actually an issue," he said.
Trudeau suggested that Trump’s remarks were a strategic move to divert attention from more immediate economic concerns, particularly the looming tariff threats. "What I think is happening is President Trump, who's a very skillful negotiator, is getting people to be somewhat distracted by that, by that conversation," he remarked.
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