President Donald Trump ignited controversy on social media after referring to Canada as “one of the nastiest countries” and suggesting it was meant to be the 51st state of the United States. The remarks came during an interview with Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham on Tuesday, March 18, amid an ongoing tariff war between the two nations.
Tensions between the neighboring countries have escalated since Trump’s 2024 election victory, particularly after he expressed interest in merging Canada with the United States. Speaking on The Ingraham Angle, Trump defended his administration’s strict stance on Canada.
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“Here’s my problem with Canada: Canada was meant to be the 51st state because we subsidize Canada by $200 billion a year,” he stated. Trump claimed the United States receives nothing in return for its economic support of Canada.
“But you’re tougher with Canada than you are with some of our biggest adversaries,” Ingraham interjected. “We’re not going to let them get close to China, right?” “Only because it’s meant to be our 51st state,” Trump responded before launching into criticism of former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was succeeded last week by Mark Carney.
“One of the nastiest countries to deal with is Canada. Now, this was Trudeau—good old Justin. I call him ‘Governor Trudeau.’ His people were nasty and they weren’t telling the truth,” Trump continued. When Ingraham suggested that his remarks could boost the Liberal Party’s chances in Canada’s upcoming federal election, Trump dismissed the concern, stating he did not care.
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Carney, who recently assumed leadership of Canada’s Liberal Party, has vowed to “stand up to” Trump. Meanwhile, Canada has responded to U.S. tariffs by imposing $21 billion in duties on American imports, following Trump’s decision to place a 25 percent tariff on Canadian steel and aluminum, according to Newsweek.
Trump’s comments quickly sparked backlash on social media, with many X users condemning his remarks. “This is quite unreasonable and inappropriate! With all respect, the President doesn’t need to be so rude to make his point,” one user wrote. As tensions between the U.S. and Canada continue to rise, Trump’s rhetoric and aggressive trade policies are fueling diplomatic unease between the two longtime allies.
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