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After Justin Trudeau visited U.S. president-elect Donald Trump in Florida on Friday, the prime minister told a reporter they’d had “an excellent conversation.”
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His office later put out a statement that the two “shared a productive wide-ranging discussion” focusing on “collaboration and strengthening our relationship.” It added: “As Canada’s closest friend and ally, the United States is our key partner, and we are committed to working together in the interests of Canadians and Americans.”
What neither mentioned was a joke by Trump to the effect that Canada should consider becoming America’s 51st (and perhaps also 52nd) state, with the prime minister taking on the title of governor.
As reported by Fox News and elsewhere, the three-hour meeting touched on Trump’s concerns about illegal migrants and drugs entering the United States from Canada, and on the U.S. trade deficit with Canada, which Trump pegged at US$100 billion. Trump repeated his threat of a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods unless these issues were dealt with.
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According to sources, Trudeau said that the tariff would kill the Canadian economy, to which Trump replied by asking whether Canada can survive without ripping off the U.S. to the tune of US$100 billion a year.
He then suggested to Trudeau that Canada could become America’s 51st state, and that while prime minister is a better title, Trudeau could instead become governor. Sources reported nervous laughter from the prime minister and others in the room at this remark.
When someone else at the table noted that Canada would be a very liberal state, Trump then suggested breaking Canada into two states, one conservative and one liberal.
The prime minister is planning to meet with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and the other opposition party leaders on Parliament Hill today to brief them on his Florida visit. That meeting is expected around 1 p.m. ET, just before question period.
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