Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was caught on a hot mic on Friday saying that President Trump’s talk of making Canada the 51st U.S. state is “a real thing,” local media reported.
Canadian public broadcaster CBC reported that Trudeau made those comments to business leaders and labor leaders in a closed-door session that was mistakenly carried by a loudspeaker.
Trudeau suggested Mr. Trump has floated the idea of annexing Canada because he wants access to the country’s critical minerals.
“Mr. Trump has it in mind that the easiest way to do it is absorbing our country and it is a real thing. In my conversations with him on…,” Trudeau said of making Canada a U.S. state before the microphone cut out, according to CBC.
“They’re very aware of our resources, of what we have and they very much want to be able to benefit from those,” Trudeau reportedly said.
Trudeau’s office did not immediately respond to the Associated Press’ request for comment.
In a post on social platform X, Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labor, confirmed what Trudeau said.
“Yes, I can confirm that Trudeau said his assessment is that what Trump really wants is not action on fentanyl or immigration or even the trade deficit, what he really wants is to either dominate Canada or take it outright,” McGowan wrote.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly suggested Canada would be better off if it agreed to become the 51st U.S. state, even going as far as calling Trudeau the “governor … of the Great State of Canada” in a post on Truth Social in December.
In an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier ahead of the 2025 Super Bowl on Sunday, Mr. Trump said he is serious about wanting Canada to become the 51st state.
“Yeah it is,” when asked if his threats to annex Canada are a “real thing.”
“I think Canada would be much better off being the 51st state because we lose $200 billion a year with Canada. And I’m not going to let that happen,” he said. “Why are we paying $200 billion a year, essentially a subsidy to Canada?”
The U.S. is not subsidizing Canada. The U.S. buys products from the natural resource-rich nation, including commodities like oil. While the trade gap in goods has ballooned in recent years to $72 billion in 2023, the deficit largely reflects America’s imports of Canadian energy.
Trudeau’s comments came after Mr. Trump on Monday agreed to a 30-day pause on threats to impose 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, with another 10% tariff on Canadian oil, natural gas and electricity.
Mr. Trump has said the tariffs were necessary to ensure greater cooperation from the countries to stop illegal immigration and prevent fentanyl smuggling, but he has also pledged to use tariffs to boost domestic manufacturing and raise revenues for the federal government.
In public comments on Friday, Trudeau said Canada must think “tactically and strategically” on how to deal with Mr. Trump’s threats and said the country must work with the U.S. to avoid the hefty tariffs. He added that Canada needs to eliminate internal trade barriers and expand its trade with other nations.
“This is a moment,” said Trudeau. “This is a time in our country’s history that really matters.”
Cole Burston/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Canada had planned to retaliate to the U.S. action with 25% tariffs on $155 billion Canadian dollars ($109 billion) worth of American goods.
Trudeau said it’s also time to have “genuine free trade in Canada,” while strengthening its trade relationships with other countries.
Candace Laing, president and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, said she is happy the meeting is focused on internal trade, trade diversification and responding to U.S. tariffs.
“It’s clear that we can’t just tinker around the edges with incremental steps right now,” she said. “We’ve got to be bold so that businesses and communities can pivot to be more resilient and less reliant on what happens in the U.S.,” Laing said in a statement.
Last month, Trudeau announced he would resign as prime minister and Liberal Party leader amid growing opposition to his leadership. Canada’s parliament was paused until late March so a new leader could be chosen.
