President-elect Donald Trump reportedly joked to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last week that his country should become part of the United States if it can’t handle his aggressive tariff plan.
Trump, 78, made the quip during a three-hour-long dinner with Trudeau at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Friday – a meeting prompted by the president-elect’s threat to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian imports.
During their Palm Beach, Fla., sitdown, Trudeau, 52, pleaded with Trump not to implement the new levy because it would “kill” Canada’s economy, according to Fox News.
“So your country can’t survive unless it’s ripping off the US to the tune of $100 billion?” Trump reportedly replied, referencing the US trade deficit with Canada.
The president-elect then joked that Canada could become the 51st state, with Trudeau serving as its governor.
However, Trump admitted that “prime minister” was a better title for Trudeau than “governor.”
Trudeau and others at the table laughed “nervously” at the remark, sources at the dinner told Fox News.
When someone at the table noted that Canada would be a “very liberal state,” the incoming president suggested that it could be split into two states – a liberal and a conservative one.
Last month, Trump said he would slap tariffs on Canadian goods unless the country cracked down on illegal immigration and drug smuggling.
Trump reiterated his demands at the dinner and noted that he expected changes from America’s northern neighbor by Jan. 20, when he’s sworn into office.
The president-elect described his conversation with Trudeau as “very productive” in a Truth Social post on Saturday.
The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
