President Trump has put his thumb on Canada’s pivotal national election taking place Monday in an extraordinary way, repeating his desire to make the country the 51st U.S. state.
On Monday morning, just as polls were opening in Canada, he insisted, in a post on Truth Social, that Canadians should “vote for the man” who would make their country part of the United States.
He also called Canada “a beautiful landmass” and referred to the border between the two countries as an “artificially drawn line from many years ago.”
Since taking office, Mr. Trump has repeatedly said Canada “doesn’t make sense” as a country but should just join the United States, threatening Canada’s sovereignty.
His tariffs against America’s closest ally and trading partner have pushed Canada closer to a recession, and his constant refrain about making Canada part of the United States have upended the political balance of power, boosting the previously moribund Liberal Party and hobbling the once dominant Conservatives.
He had made similar remarks questioning the permanence of the border between the two countries to former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, putting Canada’s leadership on alert that the president of the United States was serious about taking over Canada.
Observers struggled to interpret Mr. Trump’s Monday missive.
Some felt it was veiled support for Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative Party leader, who is seen as a close ideological ally of Mr. Trump and has been criticized for being too Trump-like by many voters.
Others thought Mr. Trump’s post favored — perhaps inadvertently — Mark Carney, the current prime minister and Liberal leader, who’s shaped his campaign on an anti-Trump platform.
Whatever the case, one thing was clear: Mr. Trump is not giving up on his obsession with Canada, and the new government that emerges from Monday’s vote will need to deal with a leader intent on both hurting Canada’s economy with tariffs, and coveting its vast resources.
Mr. Trump’s post Monday was met with a swift rebuke by Mr. Poilievre.
“President Trump, stay out of our election,” the Conservative leader said on X.
“The only people who will decide the future of Canada are Canadians at the ballot box. Canada will always be proud, sovereign and independent and we will NEVER be the 51st state. Today Canadians can vote for change so we can strengthen our country, stand on our own two feet and stand up to America from a position of strength,” he added.
Mr. Carney also shared a post that reinforced Canadians’ independence and agency over who’s in charge in their homeland, but did not mention Mr. Trump, posting a video in which he said, “This is Canada, and we decide what happens here.”
