U.S. President Donald Trump says it’s “highly unlikely” that America would ever resort to military force to annex Canada, though he reaffirmed his long-standing goal of turning the country into the 51st state.
In a revealing interview aired Sunday on NBC’s Meet The Press, Trump drew a firm line between Canada and Greenland — the latter of which he claims is vital to U.S. security and remains on his radar for potential acquisition. “Something could happen with Greenland,” Trump said. “We need that for national and international security.” But regarding Canada, he added, “I think we’re not going to ever get to that point… I just don’t see it.”
Trump’s remarks come ahead of his first official meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, scheduled for this week in Washington. Trade is expected to dominate the agenda, as tensions flare over tariffs imposed by the U.S. on Canadian goods and fresh uncertainties over the future of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
Despite their policy differences, Trump struck a surprisingly cordial tone, calling Carney “a very nice man” and congratulating him on his election victory. “There’s no majority or anything, so that’s going to make things a little bit difficult, I think, for him to run. But he nevertheless had a victory.”
Still, Trump couldn’t resist reigniting his claim that Canada depends on U.S. subsidies. “We subsidize Canada to the tune of $200 billion a year,” he said, repeating a figure that economic experts have called wildly inaccurate. According to the U.S. Trade Representative, the actual trade deficit with Canada in 2024 was $63.3 billion — a gap, not a subsidy. In fact, Canada exported more than 75% of its goods to the U.S., while only 12.6% of American imports came from Canada.
Trump downplayed Canada’s economic importance to the U.S., stating, “We don’t need their cars, we don’t need their lumber, we don’t need their energy… We have more than they do.” He also criticized environmental regulations that he claims are stifling Canada’s resource exports.
When pressed by host Kristen Welker on whether he would bring up U.S. statehood during his meeting with Carney, Trump responded, “I’ll always talk about that.”
As Carney prepares for a high-stakes diplomatic visit, the rhetoric underscores the unpredictable nature of U.S.-Canada relations under Trump’s renewed presidency — where symbolic statements often blur with geopolitical posturing.
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