Trump suggests Canada join the USA to eliminate tariffs
Donald Trump suggested that Canada should become the 51st state of the USA, which he believes would eliminate tariffs. The US President emphasized that Canada cannot survive without American subsidies.
- According to Trump, Canada cannot exist "as a viable country" without subsidies from the USA, so it should become "our beloved 51st state," thus eliminating tariffs, he assessed on Sunday. He also claimed that while tariffs might cause "pain," it is a price worth paying.
Trump promises "military protection and lower taxes"
Trump stated that the USA pays hundreds of billions of dollars to subsidize Canada, which he finds unjustified. He emphasized that the United States has sufficient resources to produce its goods, including cars and lumber.
The US President noted that as the 51st state, Canada could benefit from better military protection, lower taxes, and no tariffs. Trump did not specify which subsidies he meant but has previously mentioned the trade deficit between the USA and Canada.
In another post on Sunday concerning the tariffs imposed on Canada, Mexico, and China on Saturday, the President criticized the conservative newspaper "The Wall Street Journal," which in an editorial called Trump's move "the dumbest trade war in history." The President claimed that the "globalist" newspaper leads the "tariff lobby" to justify the "decades-long exploitation of America" and the influx of drugs and crime.
"THOSE DAYS ARE OVER! The USA has major deficits with Canada, Mexico, and China (and almost all countries!), owes 36 Trillion Dollars, and we’re not going to be the "Stupid Country" any longer. MAKE YOUR PRODUCT IN THE USA AND THERE ARE NO TARIFFS!" he added.
"WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, AND IT WILL ALL BE WORTH THE PRICE THAT MUST BE PAID. WE ARE A COUNTRY THAT IS NOW BEING RUN WITH COMMON SENSE — AND THE RESULTS WILL BE SPECTACULAR!!!" he assured.
What does fentanyl have to do with it?
The justification for the additional 25% tariffs on all goods from Canada and Mexico and 10% from China presented by Trump somewhat differs from what he used in Saturday's decree. On Saturday, the official reason given was the influx of fentanyl from all three countries, although, in Canada's case, drug smuggling into the USA is much lower than from Mexico. The decree also states that trade barriers can be lifted if countries take appropriate steps to address the crisis. However, Trump said on Friday that he is "not looking for any concessions."
So far, the President has not announced a reaction to the retaliatory tariffs announced on Saturday by Mexico and Canada. The decree he issued includes a clause allowing him further to increase the imposed tariffs in case of retaliation.
