Canada the 51st US state? Trudeau says ‘it’s not going to happen’

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has re-iterated that Canada has no intention to change into the 51st state of the US.

“It isn’t going to occur,” he stated.

Talking to former White Home press secretary Jen Psaki on MSNBC’s “Inside” on Sunday, Trudeau mentioned President-Elect Donald Trump’s repeated feedback that Canada may change into part of the US.

“I do know as a profitable negotiator he likes to maintain folks off steadiness. The 51st state, it isn’t going to occur,” he stated.

The prime minister, who has confronted rising unpopularity within the polls forward of a nationwide election, introduced that he’ll step down in March after his Liberal Celebration picks a brand new chief.

Trump has upped the ante just lately with repeated feedback about annexing Canada.

“You do away with that artificially drawn line, and also you check out what that appears like, and it might even be significantly better for nationwide safety,” Trump stated at a press convention at his Florida Mar-a Lago house on Tuesday.

“Canada and the USA, that may actually be one thing.”

He has even gone as far as to name the prime minister “Governor Trudeau,” a place normally held by leaders of US states.

However on tv on Sunday, Trudeau stated he pays these jabs no thoughts.

“I are likely to give attention to the substantive issues, and never on folks selecting nicknames for me. I imply, if I used to be that thin-skinned I in all probability would not final that lengthy in politics.”

One of many massive causes Canada won’t be a part of America, Trudeau stated, is straightforward: Canadians don’t wish to.

When attempting to outline their nationwide identification, Trudeau stated Canadians are prone to say “we’re not Individuals”, amongst different issues.

Earlier this week, Trudeau put it extra bluntly, saying there was not “a snowball’s likelihood in hell” that the 2 international locations would change into one.

Trudeau stated that what he’s involved about is the affect of tariffs on Canadians and Individuals. Tensions between Trump and Canada have been simmering because the president-elect announced his plan to implement 25% tariffs on items coming from Canada.

The transfer would have a major affect on Canada’s economic system, and will result in retaliatory tariffs.

“Canadians are extremely happy with being Canadian, however folks are actually speaking about that fairly than the affect that 25 % tariffs,” Trudeau stated. “No American desires to pay 25 % extra for electrical energy or oil and gasoline coming in from Canada.”

In the meantime, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith posted on social media that she had met with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence over the weekend to debate the necessary of US-Canada power partnerships. Alberta is a significant oil and gasoline exporter.