Trump argues for Canada becoming part of the US
By: Todd Spangler
Detroit Free Press
USA Today Network
..... President-elect Donald Trump made his case last week [01/07/2025] for Canada, a country of some 41 million people becoming part of the US., saying he would use "economic force" to try to join the two nations and get rid of what he called an "artificially drawn line" between them.
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"Canada and the United States, that would really be something," Trump said Tuesday [01/07/2025] at a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
..... Trump argued it makes sense for Canada to become part of the U.S. if it is going to rely on the American economy and military to the extent he said it does.
..... "I love the Canadian people, they've great, but we've spending hundreds of billions a year to protect it," Trump said. "We don't need anything (Canada produces). So why are we losing $200 billion a year and more to protect Canada? ... We have a right not to hell them with their financial difficulties.
..... "We're doing it because of habit and we're doing it because we like our neighbors," Trump said. "And we've been a good neighbor, but we can;t do it forever."
..... The comments came a day after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his Liberal Party well behind in the polls for an election that must occur before October 20, [2025] said he would step down as the country's leader soon.
..... Trudeau has been trying to respond to Trump's threatened 25% tariff on all Canadian goods and services and jibes by the president-elect in which he has referred to Trudeau as "governor," as if Canada were a state.
..... Trudeau has said that Canada would respond to any such tariff in kind but that it could harm the nation's economy while also raising prices for U.S. consumers.
.... Both Liberal and Conservative party officials have rejected any suggestion Canada would entertain becoming part of the U.S.
..... "There isn't a snowball's chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States," Trudeau posted Tuesday [01/07/2025 on X.
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Trump ruled out-any use of military force in trying to join the two countries.
..... The president-elect, who will be inaugurated January 20, [2025] made several claims about Canada's reliance on the U.S. that were not borne out by recent data, including that the U.S., is "losing $200 billion a year and more to protect Canada" and that 20% of cars imported into the U.S. come from Canada.
..... The fact-checking website Snopes.com had debunked earlier claims by Trump that the U.S. spends billions subsidizing Canada.
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In 2023, Canadian imports accounted for about 14% of the value of total vehicles, parts and engines imported into the U.S., according to the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis. Trump has also exaggerated the trade deficit with Canada, which is still far more reliant on U.S. business overall than vice versa.
..... The U.S. spend about $32 billion in federal aid to Canada in fiscal year 2022.
..... But Trump has long called for NATO member nations, including Canada, to commit larger portions of their budgets to defense, instead of relying on much larger outlays by the U.S. to protect their common interests.