Trudeau on Canada Joining the U.S. as 51st State: ‘Not Going to Happen,’ We Define Ourselves as ‘Distinct from Americans’


 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau affirmed Thursday on CNN’s *The Lead* that Canada will never become part of the United States, emphasizing that Canadians strongly identify as “not American.”  During the conversation, host Jake Tapper referenced former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral and remarked, “President-elect Trump has been needling you a bit, calling you ‘Governor Trudeau’ and mentioning the idea of Canada becoming the 51st state. Did you have any interaction with him today?”  Trudeau responded, “No, not today, but that’s not going to happen. Canadians are incredibly proud of being Canadian. One of the simplest ways we define ourselves is, ‘Well, we’re not American.’ There is such a deep sense of pride that this isn’t even a real issue.”  He continued, “What I believe is really happening here is that President Trump, a very skilled negotiator, is using this as a distraction. The real conversation should be about the 25 percent tariffs he’s proposing on oil, gas, electricity, steel, aluminum, lumber, and concrete — essentially everything American consumers buy from Canada. If those tariffs proceed, prices for American buyers will rise significantly. That’s where our attention needs to be focused.”

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