Hold onto your maple syrup because we have an interesting development in Donald Trump’s crusade to make Canada the 51st state. On Tuesday, Trump dropped a bombshell claim that he’s got a deal so sweet that Canadian officials are now “considering” statehood.
Trump has been talking about making Canada the 51st state for a while now, and Canadian officials, unsurprisingly, aren’t biting.
During a May 6 Oval Office meeting, newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney firmly told Trump that Canada is “not for sale” and “won’t be for sale, ever.” Undeterred, Trump replied with a cryptic “time will tell” and “never say never.”
But when has a little rejection ever stopped the Donald? He’s not just doubling down; he’s tossing in a deal-sweetener that, according to him, has changed the dynamic.
Trump is dangling a missile defense dome as the ultimate carrot, claiming that Canada could save billions by hitching their wagon to America’s military might. The two countries already cooperate through NORAD, their joint air defense system. But Trump’s “Golden Dome” is a more ambitious vision modeled after Israel’s Iron Dome, which aims to create an expansive missile defense shield using satellites, sensors, and interceptors. Trump has said it will be operational by the end of his term at a cost of $175 billion.
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“I told Canada, which very much wants to be part of our fabulous Golden Dome System, that it will cost $61 Billion Dollars if they remain a separate, but unequal, Nation, but will cost ZERO DOLLARS if they become our cherished 51st State,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “They are considering the offer!”
It’s true that Canada is interested in being a part of Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense system.
"It's something that we are looking at and something that has been discussed at a high level," Carney told reporters last week.
Carney was asked by a reporter following a cabinet meeting on Wednesday whether Canada would join the military project, and how much it would spend.
"I'm not going to put a price tag," on it at this stage, Carney began.
"We are conscious that we have an ability, if we so choose, to complete the Golden Dome with investments and partnership," he said.
"But I'm not sure one negotiates on this. These are these are military decisions. And we will evaluate it accordingly."
Canada's openness to joining the proposed Golden Dome system comes amid ongoing trade and security negotiations between the two countries, after Trump threatened steep tariffs on Canada and said it would be better off as a US state.
Audrey Champoux, a spokeswoman for Carney, confirmed that discussions with the U.S. are underway on security and economic cooperation.
“Canadians gave the prime minister a strong mandate to negotiate a comprehensive new security and economic relationship with the United States,” Champoux said.
She added that Carney and his ministers are engaged in “wide-ranging and constructive discussions with their American counterparts,” which “naturally include strengthening NORAD and related initiatives such as the Golden Dome.”
While other outlets mock Trump's Canada strategy, our readers get a serious analysis of the Golden Dome initiative and its implications for North American defense. Ready for unfiltered coverage of this historic negotiation? Join PJ Media VIP today using the code FIGHT for 60% off and support independent journalism that dares to tell the truth.
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