President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his interest in turning America’s northern neighbor into its 51st state, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick recently helped make his case.
Ahead of a planned meeting with select Canadian officials, Lutnick cited the ongoing trade dispute between the two nations as a sign that Canada’s economy would be better off if it “merged” with America’s.
According to The Hill:
Trump has previously suggested that Canada should “become the 51st state,” but Mark Carney, the soon-to-be prime minister of the U.S.’s neighbor to the north, said Sunday that “Canada never, ever will be part of America in any way, shape or form.”
ADVERTISEMENT“But think about this for a second, why are American cars made in Canada? … Those jobs should be in America. And that’s what the president thinks, and that’s what he says and that’s what he’s going to execute,” Lutnick said Wednesday.
“So the key point is, Canada’s going to have to work with us to really integrate their economy. And as the president said, they should consider the amazing advantages of being the 51st state of the United States of [America],” he added.
The U.S.-Canada relationship has been the topic of significant social media discussion in recent days:
It's OK when Canada does it to us, but God forbid Trump does something about it. pic.twitter.com/FO8eWAc4i6
— The Disrespected Trucker (@DisrespectedThe) March 8, 2025
Uh oh Canada, you sure showed Us. You’re getting rid of American liquor that you already paid for. No one ever said you all were smart.
— 🇺🇸 MAGA Michelle S 🇺🇸 (@MAGAMichelleS69) March 5, 2025
Last time I checked, the average Canadian pays roughly half their income on taxes alone…
So how is that not considered economic warfare but U.S Tariffs on Canada is?
It seems our own govts are the ones robbing us blind so I don't understand the logic here. pic.twitter.com/Zm2jvbMYwW
— govt.exe is corrupt (@govt_corrupt) March 5, 2025
Global News reported on Lutnick’s upcoming meeting:
Ontario Premier Doug Ford and federal Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc suggested Wednesday they want to come out of a meeting with a top U.S. official with a “coherent plan” for the tariff road ahead.
The pair, along with Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador to the United States, are set to meet Thursday in Washington, D.C., with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, who invited Ford on Tuesday amid a major ratcheting up — then down — of the trade war between the two countries.
The Canadian politicians said they hope for a cordial meeting that will take the temperature down, though it will come after Lutnick and U.S. President Donald Trump made comments referring to Ford as “some guy in Ontario” and his “little threat” to put a surcharge on electricity exports to the U.S.
ADVERTISEMENT“I said, ‘This will be won in one hour,’ and (we) announced what we were going to do and they withdrew their little threat,” Trump said Wednesday.
The U.S. has imposed tariffs of 25 per cent on steel and aluminum imports effective Wednesday and the Canadian government announced tariffs on U.S. goods worth nearly $30 billion in retaliation.
Trump had threatened Tuesday to set the steel and aluminum tariff at 50 per cent in response to Ontario placing a surcharge on electricity it exports to three U.S. states, but both sides agreed to back off those moves after Lutnick offered the meeting.
Ford said he expects to talk about the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement with Lutnick and hopes to move up a review of the USMCA set for next year.
Here’s a full clip of Lutnick’s recent remarks about Trump’s trade policy:
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