Justin Trudeau has revealed he believes that US President Donald Trump was serious about making Canada the 51st state of the USA. The caretaker Prime Minister of Canada made the comments in a closed-door meeting that was accidentally carried by a loudspeaker.
Trudeau, who met business and labour leaders in Vancouver on Friday, said Trump wants to annex Canada for its resources.
"Trump has it in mind that the easiest way to do it is absorbing our country and it is a real thing. In my conversations with him on¡,¡± Trudeau said before the microphone cut out.
¡°They're very aware of our resources, of what we have, and they very much want to be able to benefit from those,¡± Trudeau reportedly said further.
Gil McGowan, the president of the Alberta Federation of Labour, confirmed Trudeau's comments.
¡°Yes, I can confirm that Trudeau said his assessment is that what Trump really wants is not action on fentanyl or immigration or even the trade deficit, what he really wants is to either dominate Canada or take it outright,¡± McGowan wrote on X.
Even before he assumed office, Trump had made his desire to annex Canada and make it the US's 51st state clear. On several occasions, Trump even referred to Trudeau as the ¡°Governor of the Great State of Canada.¡±
Trump, who vowed to use economic pressure to achieve his goal, has also refused to rule out military action to acquire Canada.
Trump had also threatened to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canada, which was put on hold at the last moment amid retaliatory measures from Ottawa.
Though there was considerable pushback from Canada, cutting across the political spectrum on merging with the US, many had viewed it as Trump's way of getting a better trade deal from its neighbour.
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