Trump: Yep, I'm Serious About Canada Becoming 51st State

A prerecorded interview between President Trump and Bret Baier of Fox News aired during the network's Super Bowl pregame show Sunday, and during it, the president said he's not joking when he makes remarks about Canada becoming the "51st state." Asked by Baier if it was "a real thing," as outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reportedly warned business and labor leaders Friday, Trump responded, "Yeah it is." He continued, "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. Why are we paying $200 billion a year, essentially a subsidy to Canada?"

As the AP puts it, "the US is not subsidizing Canada." Rather, it purchases things from Canada, including commodities; the $72 billion trade gap seen in 2023 is largely due to how much energy, including oil, the US imports from Canada. As for the pregame interview, it's a longstanding presidential tradition, though former President Biden declined to participate for the past two years and Trump only participated three of the four years of his first presidential term. The rest of the interview will air Monday on Special Report With Bret Baier, USA Today reports. (Meanwhile, with regard to another controversial Trump proposal, Germany's chancellor called Trump's ideas on Gaza a "scandal.")