‘O Canada’: Trump Declares It Only ‘Makes Sense’ for U.S. to Absorb Neighbor as ‘Fifty First State’ After Announcing Steep New Tariffs
President Donald Trump ramped up his trade war with Canada Tuesday morning, arguing that it only “makes sense” for the U.S. to absorb its northern neighbor while announcing plans to impose steep new tariffs on it.
Trump’s on-again, off-again tariff policy with some of the U.S.’s strongest allies and largest trade partners — including Mexico and Canada — has caused significant market disruption, leading to a spate of warnings about a looming recession. During a Sunday interview with Maria Bartiromo, Trump’s refusal to say that he could not guarantee there wouldn’t be a recession did not calm already skittish investors.
On Tuesday morning, in a Truth Social post, Trump announced a 25% tariff on Canadian electricity, as well as additional levies on steel and aluminum
“I have instructed my Secretary of Commerce to add an ADDITIONAL 25% Tariff, to 50%, on all STEEL and ALUMINUM COMING INTO THE UNITED STATES FROM CANADA, ONE OF THE HIGHEST TARIFFING NATIONS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. This will go into effect TOMORROW MORNING, March 12th,” wrote Trump before explaining why he considers a trade imbalance “outrageous.”
He also threatened to “substantially increase, on April 2nd, the Tariffs on Cars coming into the U.S. which will, essentially, permanently shut down the automobile manufacturing business in Canada,” unless Canada drops what he called “egregious, long time Tariffs.”
“The only thing that makes sense is for Canada to become our cherished Fifty First State,” Trump concluded, reiterating his bizarre and unnerving suggestion that the United States should somehow annex its northern neighbor. “This would make all Tariffs, and everything else, totally disappear. Canadians taxes will be very substantially reduced, they will be more secure, militarily and otherwise, than ever before, there would no longer be a Northern Border problem, and the greatest and most powerful nation in the World will be bigger, better and stronger than ever — And Canada will be a big part of that. ”
“The artificial line of separation drawn many years ago will finally disappear,” he concluded, adding “And we will have the safest and most beautiful Nation anywhere in the World — And your brilliant anthem, ‘O Canada,’ will continue to play, but now representing a GREAT and POWERFUL STATE within the greatest Nation that the World has ever seen!”
Trump’s message read, in full:
Based on Ontario, Canada, placing a 25% Tariff on “Electricity” coming into the United States, I have instructed my Secretary of Commerce to add an ADDITIONAL 25% Tariff, to 50%, on all STEEL and ALUMINUM COMING INTO THE UNITED STATES FROM CANADA, ONE OF THE HIGHEST TARIFFING NATIONS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. This will go into effect TOMORROW MORNING, March 12th. Also, Canada must immediately drop their Anti-American Farmer Tariff of 250% to 390% on various U.S. dairy products, which has long been considered outrageous. I will shortly be declaring a National Emergency on Electricity within the threatened area. This will allow the U.S to quickly do what has to be done to alleviate this abusive threat from Canada. If other egregious, long time Tariffs are not likewise dropped by Canada, I will substantially increase, on April 2nd, the Tariffs on Cars coming into the U.S. which will, essentially, permanently shut down the automobile manufacturing business in Canada. Those cars can easily be made in the USA! Also, Canada pays very little for National Security, relying on the United States for military protection. We are subsidizing Canada to the tune of more than 200 Billion Dollars a year. WHY??? This cannot continue. The only thing that makes sense is for Canada to become our cherished Fifty First State. This would make all Tariffs, and everything else, totally disappear. Canadians taxes will be very substantially reduced, they will be more secure, militarily and otherwise, than ever before, there would no longer be a Northern Border problem, and the greatest and most powerful nation in the World will be bigger, better and stronger than ever — And Canada will be a big part of that. The artificial line of separation drawn many years ago will finally disappear, and we will have the safest and most beautiful Nation anywhere in the World — And your brilliant anthem, “O Canada,” will continue to play, but now representing a GREAT and POWERFUL STATE within the greatest Nation that the World has ever seen!
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