Trump bows down to Canada's Carney and drops '51st state' ambitions in phone call

Donald Trump seemingly displayed an astonishing difference in attitude compared to Monday morning when he posted a bizarre rant on the same day Canada held its election

Mataeo Smith

13:02 ET, 02 May 2025Updated 14:42 ET, 02 May 2025

The embarrassing submission to the prime minister came four days after Trump unleashed yet another unhinged rant against the northern country on his social media platform Truth Social on the same day it held elections(Image: Getty Images)

US President Donald Trump seemed to abandon his ambitions of making Canada the 51st state during a Friday call with the nation's newly-elected Prime Minister Mark Carney who campaigned on standing against American aggression.

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During a press conference, a reporter asked Carney whether Trump suggested that Canada merge with the US to become the 51st state, a proposal he's made repeatedly since taking office for the second time. "He did not," Carney flatly said. The news signals Trump's latest back-peddle and may be a sign the 47th president has given up on convincing the Canadian government to surrender its sovereignty.

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Trump may view Carney, who was voted into office after embarking on a campaign rebuking Trump's attempts to bully the nation, in a different light compared to former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who rebuked the president's idea of making the great white north a part of the US. Trump was previously branded the 'dumbest president ever' following a shocking 6-word geography comment.

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His embarrassing submission to the prime minister came four days after Trump unleashed yet another unhinged rant against the northern country on his social media platform Truth Social on the same day it held elections.

"Good luck to the Great people of Canada. Elect the man who has the strength and wisdom to cut your taxes in half, increase your military power, for free, to the highest level in the World, have your Car, Steel, Aluminum, Lumber, Energy, and all other businesses, QUADRUPLE in size, WITH ZERO TARIFFS OR TAXES, if Canada becomes the cherished 51st. State of the United States of America," Trump wrote on Truth Social early Monday morning.

The president mentioned the tariffs he imposed on the North American country(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

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"No more artificially drawn line from many years ago. Look how beautiful this land mass would be," Trump continued. "Free access with NO BORDER. ALL POSITIVES WITH NO NEGATIVES. IT WAS MEANT TO BE!"

The president mentioned the tariffs he imposed on the North American country, claiming that they were a result of Canada allegedly supporting the American economy.

"America can no longer subsidize Canada with the Hundreds of Billions of Dollars a year that we have been spending in the past. It makes no sense unless Canada is a State!" Trump concluded.

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Canadian PM Mark Carney speaks to volunteers and supporters during the Canada Strong Election Night(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)

President Trump in recent weeks has shown his willingness to back out of passionate, yet delusional, proposals to other countries when it's clear his bully tactics won't work. It's been awhile since he's spoken about the US absorbing Greenland, which is a Denmark territory.

The White House was fervently rejected by locals when Vice President JD Vance and his wife visited the territory to shore up support for a merge with the US.

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They were instantly rejected by locals who refused to appear in front of the TV cameras and say they would welcome the idea of becoming Americans.

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