President-elect Donald Trump met with the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau where the subject of tariffs was of great concern as Trump claimed the Canadian government was “ripping of the U.S.” for years.
Trump continues to push forward his “Make America Great Again” campaign promises and recently hosted Trudeau at Mar-a-Lago on Friday. According to sources close in the meetings, Trump responded to his “gangster” tactics of imposing tariffs with suggesting that the Canadian red and white maple leaf flag is more likely seen as the 51st state heavily relying on the United States economy instead of an independent nation.
The Canadian entourage nervously laughed at Trump’s remarks and added that maybe Canada will not help curb illegal immigration and drug trafficking into the United States if the 25% tariffs are imposed. According to Fox News, “Trudeau told Trump he cannot levy the tariff because it would kill the Canadian economy completely. Trump replied — asking, so your country can’t survive unless it’s ripping off the U.S. to the tune of $100 billion?”
“Trump then suggested to Trudeau that Canada become the 51st state, which caused the prime minister and others to laugh nervously.”
The dinner between Trump and Trudeau lasted approximately 3 hours where they also discussed defense topics, NATO, Ukraine, energy, China and the upcoming G7 meeting hosted by the Canadians.
Only days before the meeting, Trump posted that a tariff would be imposed on “ALL products” from Canada and would “remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country! Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem. We hereby demand that they use this power, and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price!” Such a declaration prompted a response from Trudeau to President-elect Trump within hours.
According to the Canadian Minister of Public Safety Dominic LeBlanc, after meeting with the president-elect “we got, I think, a mutual understanding of what they’re concerned about in terms of border security,” which the Canadians have already begun. This proactive stance from the Canadians is a stark contrast to how Mexico reacted to President-elect Trump’s statements of imposing a tariff on all imported goods. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum warned that if a tariff was imposed, then Mexico would respond in kind.
The Canadians in attendance described the meeting at Mar-a-Lago as “very friendly and very positive,” but President-elect Trump made the message crystal clear “that he expected changed by January 20th.”