Trump: Canada should be a US state

President of the United States Donald J. Trump takes questions from the press with First Lady of the United States Melania Trump by his side on the South Lawn of the White House prior to departing on Marine One for the first trip of his second term to North Carolina and California in Washington, D.C., United States on January 24, 2025. [Kyle Mazza – Anadolu Agency]

US President Donald Trump said that he views Canada as a country that should be a state, claiming that it has “taken advantage” of the United States for years.

According to the Canadian newspaper, National Post, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday, Trump said: “Canada’s been taking advantage of the United States for years, and we’re not going to let that happen.”

He added that the United States loses millions of dollars to Canada annually in trade deficits.

As cited in the paper, Trump noted: “I don’t want to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on supporting the country unless that country is a state. And, if it’s a state, the people of Canada will pay a much lower tax.”

“They’ll get much better treatment, much better care and much lower taxes and they’ll be much more secure,” he added.

Trump has previously stated on several occasions that Canada should join the United States as the 51st state, a suggestion that has been met with disapproval from the Canadian side.

In a related context, Trump renewed his desire to “purchase” Greenland from Denmark.

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