For months, U.S. President Donald Trump seemed to have shelved his favourite nickname for Canada. Then, with two words and a Truth Social post Monday night, it was back.
“51st State!” the president wrote while sharing an article about Canada’s economy entering a technical recession.
The comment revived one of Trump’s most controversial talking points about Canada, but Prime Minister Mark Carney struck a different tone than leaders have during previous flare-ups.
Instead of responding with a calculated statement, Carney shrugged off the comment on Tuesday in front of reporters, describing Trump as an “exceptionally active user of social media” and making clear Ottawa won’t be reacting to every online jab.
“We’re not going to respond or react to everything that he posts,” the prime minister replied, brushing off the remark with a wave.
Trump’s two-word threat gained additional airplay after it was reshared by U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra Tuesday morning. When asked if Canada should expel the ambassador over the move, Carney rejected the suggestion, saying Ottawa needs to continue working with the U.S. administration and its representatives.
Trump first floated the idea of Canada becoming the 51st state shortly after returning to the White House last year during a meeting with then-prime minister Justin Trudeau at Mar-a-Lago in late 2024 while discussing tariffs and trade.
What began as a remark that sent a wave of alarm through Canadian provinces soon became a familiar refrain, popping up in speeches, interviews and social media posts.
Screengrab of U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments on Truth Social regarding Canada joining U.S. as the ’51st State.’
As months passed, Trump argued that Canada would be better off as part of the United States. Each time the comments resurfaced, they sparked a fresh wave of headlines and reactions north of the American border.
Canadian political leaders were quick to reject the suggestion. Politicians from all levels of government stressed that Canada is a sovereign country and dismissed any concept of annexation. The comments also fuelled a wave of patriotic responses from Canadians, with many embracing slogans such as “Elbows Up” and “Buy Canadian” as a show of national pride.
‘There’s a sense that it’s better not to provoke Trump’: Expert weighs in
The more casual approach Prime Minister Mark Carney took Monday isn’t necessarily a reflection of his leadership style, according to Daniel Béland, a political scientist and professor at McGill University.
Instead, Béland says the shift is likely tied to Canada’s upcoming review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), which is set to begin next month.
“During the campaign, it was elbows up and it was politically expedient to push back against Trump’s rhetoric in a more frontal way,” Béland told Yahoo News Canada in an interview. “As this deadline in terms of the review of CUSMA is looming, I think there’s a sense that it’s better not to provoke Trump.”
While Carney has previously pushed back firmly against annexation talk, Béland believes the federal government’s focus has shifted toward protecting Canada’s interests during high-stakes negotiations.
“I think now the focus is on getting things done, or at least not to hurt what’s happening behind closed doors with regard to CUSMA,” he said.
As for Trump’s repeated references to Canada becoming the 51st state, Béland sees the comments as part of a broader effort to gain leverage.
“There is certainly something here about calling into question the sovereignty of Canada,” he said. “It’s a way to symbolically weaken Canada and say it’s not a real country, it’s not a country that could defend itself without the United States.”
Despite concerns voiced among some Canadians, Béland says the threat of annexation itself is not realistic. However, he argues the rhetoric has already altered how many Canadians view their southern neighbour.
“There is certainly a sense widely shared among Canadians that this is not acceptable rhetoric,” he said, adding that Trump has transformed the United States “from an ally to an adversary of Canada.”
At the same time, Béland believes many Canadians understand why Ottawa is choosing not to engage in a public war of words.
“Trying to start an argument about Trump would just exacerbate this kind of childish behaviour and rhetoric,” he said.
From ‘Modern day colonization or what’ to ‘Not a bad idea’: Canadian response is mixed bag
The prime minister may have refused to take the bait, but Canadians on social media are not holding back. Reactions to Trump’s latest 51st state comment ranged from defiant declarations that Canada would “never” join the United States to a vocal group arguing the idea isn’t entirely outlandish.
We headed straight to the comment section to share what Canadians had to say about Trump’s latest push for Canada to join the United States as the 51st state.
“We will never be the 51st state,” shared one X user. “We would rather fight to our last breath.”
Image screengrab of X comment courtesy: @gordosixtytwo/X
“The audacity is actually impressive,” clapped back another X user in the comment section.
Screengrab of X comment courtesy: @Limitlesstimi/X
Another X user dove for the comments typing out “Modern day colonization or what.”
Screengrab of X comment courtesy @ai_with_shah/X
Some argue that perhaps erasing our border and joining the United States isn’t such a far-fetched idea.
Screengrab of X comment courtesy @s3mtx_/X
Another commenter mused “Hmmm, that’s starting to sound pretty good,” referencing a report outlining a surge of U.S. job openings in April.
Screengrab of X comment courtesy: @angelohikebike/X
This X commenter is reframing the whole argument, typing “Imagine that, it’s not a threat but, an olive branch to Canada to help us get out of this recession.”
Image screengrab courtesy: @penguinmcmillan/X
Carney may have brushed off Trump’s latest jab with a wave of his hand, but many Canadians are not letting Trump off the hook that easy. While opinions in the comment section ranged from frustration to curiosity, one theme emerged repeatedly — a strong desire to defend Canada’s independence, even as the 51st state rhetoric enters its second year.