Trump revives call for Canada to be '51st state' at Arizona rally
The former U.S. president made the comments as Republicans in border states try to distance themselves from his trade policies.
ARIZONA — Former U.S. president Donald Trump revived his rhetoric about wanting Canada to become the "51st state" during a campaign rally in Arizona on Wednesday.
"They’ll end up being the 51st state, because that’s the only way it works," Trump told the crowd.
"We don’t need them, but they need us," Trump said, adding that Canada would be "doing something just like Greenland."
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He was referring to an Arctic security agreement he signed with Denmark and Greenland last month, which paved the way for more U.S. bases in Greenland.
His comments came as U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra said American officials are "closely watching" Canadian politicians for signs of election interference ahead of next month's midterm elections.
"Keep your nose out of American politics," Hoekstra said during a podcast interview.
He was referring to an anti-tariff ad paid for by the Ontario government and Industry Minister Melanie Joly’s comments that Canada’s counter-tariffs would target specific U.S. states.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Joly denied the claims that Canada was attempting to interfere in American politics.
"We’ll never do that and we’ll never accept that also being done to us in Canada," she said.
Polling shows Republicans trailing in several key races, including in states bordering Canada where Trump’s trade war with Ottawa has become an election issue.
"Canada is being put on the table," said University of Ottawa political science professor Emily Regan Wills.
In Michigan, Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers has urged an end to the trade war with Canada, saying in a debate that he’d urged the White House privately to reach a deal.
Days before, Rogers unveiled a new ad in which he said, "We know that Canada is not our enemy. We need to end the tariff war, now."
That’s a departure from his earlier, less specific statements praising Trump’s "America First" economic agenda.
"Americans in border states are used to being able to interact with Canada," Wills said.
"Visiting, vacationing, shopping, that’s all being profoundly disrupted at this moment."
In Maine, another state hit hard by Canada’s retaliatory tariffs, veteran Republican Susan Collins is trailing narrowly in most polls behind Democrat Troy Jackson.
During a debate, Collins touted her ability to remove certain items from Trump’s trade war with Canada, including pulp, concrete and road salt.
Jackson pushed back by quipping "we can’t eat road salt."
While prominent Republicans in tight races seek to distance themselves from his rhetoric, Trump is doubling down.
"I truly think this is psychological, this is not strategic. Donald Trump’s response to being told ‘no’ is to go harder," Wills said.
For Republicans, Trump’s rhetoric might do more harm than good in border states.
"It would be great for other Republicans if he would stop talking about it. The issue is that nobody has yet discovered how to get Donald Trump to stop talking about something he wants to talk about," she said.
"He doesn’t really have an ‘off’ button or ‘maybe that’s an inside thought’ button," Wills added.
Trump’s renewed rhetoric around Canada’s sovereignty is likely intended to create a "rally around the flag" effect that is "supposed to make Americans feel embattled," she said.
The comments also come as U.S. inflation accelerated last month, with the consumer price index rising 3.7 per cent in September compared with a year ago.
Some experts suggest Trump may be trying to shift the burden of high prices from himself to other targets, including Canada.
"The American people are paying more and getting less because of the choices of Donald Trump," said Todd Belt, professor of political management at George Washington University.
"You can’t out-message the economy. People get angry when you tell them that things are good and they know how much money they have at the end of the month," he added.
With files from Global News