Trump Revives Canada '51st State' Rhetoric Amid Tariff Dispute

On March 13, 2025, President Trump again floated the idea of Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state, telling reporters he loved Canada but would "not bend" on steel and aluminum tariffs, tying the rhetoric to an escalating trade dispute between the two countries. The comment was not accompanied by any policy proposal or diplomatic process toward annexation.

Canadian officials rejected the idea unequivocally. Newly elected Liberal leader Mark Carney said Canada would never become part of the United States