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| Justin Trudeau announced his resignation on January 6 | Photo: Reuters |
Justin Trudeau has rejected US President-elect Donald Trump's suggestion that Canada become the 51st state of the United States, saying on Tuesday that it would be "absolutely impossible."
"There is no way Canada can be made part of the United States," Trudeau wrote in a post on the microblogging site X. "Our workers and diverse communities benefit from each other's great trade and security partners."
After Trudeau announced his resignation as Canadian prime minister on Monday, Trump posted on his social media account, Truth Social, that many residents of neighboring Canada want their country to become the 51st state of the United States. If Canada were to become part of the United States, it would have no trade tariffs and would have lower taxes.
Then, at Mar-a-Lago, reporters asked Trump if he would use military force to integrate Canada into the United States. Trump responded by saying he would use "economic force."
Earlier, Trump told reporters about the Canada border that the border line was artificially drawn.
Canada exports 75 percent of its goods through its southern border with the United States. Trump has long accused Canada of benefiting unilaterally from its trade with the United States. He has also threatened to impose a 25 percent tariff on Canadian imports to the United States.
Earlier yesterday, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said, "Trump's comments show that he has absolutely no ability to understand how Canada became a strong country. We will never back down in the face of threats."
Trudeau announced on Monday that he would step down as Canada's prime minister, facing pressure from his Liberal Party's lawmakers as its popularity plummeted. He will remain in office until a new leader is elected.
According to Canadian law, elections must be held in the country by October 20. Various opinion polls conducted so far have shown that the opposition Conservative Party will win the election.
Canadian opposition leader Pierre Poiliever has already contradicted Trump's statement in a post on X. He wrote, "Canada will never be the 51st state. We are a great and independent country."