7 times Trump reignited ’51st state’ rhetoric, suggesting ‘that’s the only way it works’ for Canada

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Article contentCanada’s technical recessionArticle contentAfter almost a year of silence from Trump on the 51st state topic, the U.S.

president renewed the rhetoric after Canada entered a technical recession in June this year.Article contentIn a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote “51st state!” with a link to a Bloomberg report about the technical recession.

Hoekstra then shared the post on his X account just hours before the Canada-U.S.

Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and chief trade negotiator Janice Charette were due to meet with U.S.

Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington, D.C.Article content‘Join our country and you get it for free’Article contentIn September 2025, Trump referenced his desire for Canada to become the 51st state during his address to U.S.

military officials in Virginia.Article contentIn the speech, he claimed work on the “Golden Dome Missile Defence Shield” was proceeding and that Canada had recently contacted him to say “they want to be a part of it.”Article content“To which I said, ‘Well, why don’t you just join our country? You become the 51st state and you get it for free,” he suggested.Article contentElection Day commentsArticle contentOn April 28, 2025, the day of Canada’s federal election, Trump told Canadians to “elect the man” who will let Canada become the 51st state in a Truth Social post.Article contentAdvertisement 3Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content“Elect the man who has the strength and wisdom to cut your taxes in half, increase your military power, for free, to the highest level in the World, have your Car, Steel, Aluminum, Lumber, Energy, and all other businesses, QUADRUPLE in size, WITH ZERO TARIFFS OR TAXES, if Canada becomes the cherished 51st,” the post read.Article contentHe added: “America can no longer subsidize Canada with the Hundreds of Billions of Dollars a year that we have been spending in the past.

It makes no sense unless Canada is a State!”Article contentGood luck to the Great people of Canada.

Elect the man who has the strength and wisdom to cut your taxes in half, increase your military power, for free, to the highest level in the World, have your Car, Steel, Aluminum, Lumber, Energy, and all other businesses, QUADRUPLE in…— Commentary Trump Daily Posts (@TrumpDailyPosts) April 28, 2025Article contentAdvertisement 4Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article contentThe post came just a few days after Trump sat down for an interview with TIME magazine’s senior political correspondent Eric Cortellessa and editor-in-chief Sam Jacobs.Article content“You’ve talked about acquiring Greenland, taking control of the Panama Canal, making Canada the 51st state,” Cortellessa said.

“Maybe you’re trolling a little bit on that one.

I don’t know.”Article contentTrump’s answer was short: “Actually, no, I’m not.”Article contentSuper Bowl interviewArticle contentTrump’s comments in the TIME interview doubled down on statements he made earlier that month in an interview that aired during the Super Bowl pre-show.Article contentWhen asked whether his talk of annexing Canada is “a real thing,” Trump told Fox News Channel’s Bret Baier: “Yeah, it is.”Article content“I think Canada would be much....