Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Justine Trudeau, Canada’s buffeted Prime Minister preparing for the next year’s parliamentary elections, had not bargained for it. Last week, he air-dashed to Florida for a meeting with US President-elect Donald Trump, to keep him humored ahead of his second, non-consecutive inauguration as the 47th President on January 20, 2025.
What a nervous Trudeau got in return, besides dinner, was a bizarre Trump offer: if you find the high tariff a burden, then merge Canada itself with the USA as its 51st state, according to the media reports on Tuesday.
Poor Trudeau, already in a political soup in Canada, had met Trump to discuss the Republican leader’s proposed tariffs. For this, he had even hastily arranged a meeting with him after Trump warned of imposing tariffs on Ottawa. While the two leaders described the meeting as “very productive,” Trump reportedly made a bizarre suggestion to Trudeau to avoid high tariffs.
According to a Fox News report, Trump purportedly suggested that if high tariffs threatened to derail Canada’s economy, it should instead consider becoming the 51st state of the USA.
On November 25, Trump announced heavy tariffs on Canada and Mexico, citing their failures to curb the relentless flow of illegal immigrants and illicit drugs.
According to Globe and Mail, Trudeau called Trump within two hours of the post to press Canada’s case and secure a meeting with him.
The meeting was finalized for December 29 at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, dubbed the “Winter White House” during his previous presidency (2017-21)
The Trudeau-led Canadian delegation was welcomed at Mar-a-Lago’s “Library Bar,” located near the outdoor dining terrace. Trudeau spent the evening in the same room with Trump and his guests, including his cabinet picks.
The mood of the meeting was described as “joyous,” with Trump even acting as DJ for his guests. However, Fox News reported that while Trump was cordial and welcoming, he was direct in discussing his concerns with Trudeau.
The US President-elect raised the border issue, accusing Canada of failing to control the inflow of drugs and illegal immigrants, including people from over 70 different countries. He also addressed the US-Canada trade deficit, which he estimated to exceed USD 100 billion. Canada’s 75 percent of all exports go to the USA.
Trudeau reportedly expressed concerns that a 25 percent tariff on all Canadian goods would crash Canada’s economy. To this, Trump suggested that Canada could become the 51st state, with Trudeau as its governor—a comment that reportedly elicited nervous laughter from the Canadian delegation.
The nearly three-hour meeting covered various topics. At its conclusion, Canadian officials called the dinner “very friendly and very positive.” In a post on X, Trudeau shared a photo of himself and Trump smiling for the camera.
“Thanks for dinner last night, President Trump. I look forward to the work we can do together, again,” Trudeau tweeted.
Trump’s statement on his social media platform Truth Social was more detailed:
“I just had a very productive meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, where we discussed many important topics that will require both countries to work together to address, like the fentanyl and drug crisis that has decimated so many lives as a result of illegal immigration, fair trade deals that do not jeopardize American workers, and the massive trade deficit the US has with Canada.”
While the US and Canada have long been natural allies, ties became strained during Trump’s previous presidency. Trudeau openly expressed concerns about Trump securing a second term, stating it would make life difficult for Ottawa.
In 2018, Trump imposed 25 percent tariffs on Canadian steel and 10 percent on aluminum. Canada retaliated with tariffs on several US products. During a call to discuss the issue, Trump reportedly quipped, “Didn’t you guys burn down the White House?”—a reference to the War of 1812, inaccurately attributed to Canada instead of British forces.
Tensions escalated again during the 2018 G7 Summit in Quebec. Trudeau criticized Trump’s tariffs as “insulting,” prompting the then-US President to label Trudeau “very dishonest and weak” and withdraw the US from the G7’s joint communique.
Just three months ago, Trump’s photobook included a rumor suggesting Justin Trudeau is the son of late Cuban leader Fidel Castro, angering Canadian officials.
Trade experts believe Trump’s tariff threats are part of a broader strategy to secure more favorable trade deals for the US.
Scott Bessent, Trump’s pick for Treasury Secretary, described the approach as “escalate to de-escalate,” aiming to pressure trade partners into better deals.
“At the end of the day, he (Trump) is a free trader,” Bessent told The Financial Times.
While Trudeau returned to Canada without assurances on tariffs, his government has promised stricter border monitoring to address Trump’s concerns. Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who attended the Mar-a-Lago dinner, told CBC News that they had prepared a list of additional measures for quick implementation.