U.S. President Donald Trump has largely put to rest the idea of Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state, the country’s ambassador to Canada says.
The meeting between Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney at the White House earlier this week provided an opportunity to put the issue “behind us,” U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra told the National Post.
Trump has repeatedly made comments in recent months saying Canada would be better off as part of the United States. Hoekstra, who was in the room for the first face-to-face meeting between Trump and Carney, said the president is moving past such comments.
“It’s done,” the ambassador said. “From my standpoint, from the president’s standpoint, 51st state’s not coming back. The president may bring it up every once in a while, but he recognizes it’s not going to happen unless the prime minister engages with the president.”
Trump told reporters during his Oval Office meeting with Carney that discussions regarding Canada’s sovereignty were not part of the agenda, but the president still reiterated his wish for Canada to join the United States when the topic was brought up by reporters present in the room.
Trump repeated his previous comments about the “artificially drawn line” separating the two countries. “It would really be a wonderful marriage,” said Trump of a merger.
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Carney then mentioned Trump’s background as a real estate developer, saying, in a reference to Canada, that not all real estate is “for sale.”
“It’s not for sale. Won’t be for sale, ever,” Carney said, to which Trump later remarked, “Never say never.”
Following the discussions between the two leaders, which included a private working lunch attended by senior officials from both administrations, Carney was asked by reporters if he had urged the president to refrain from making remarks about Canada’s sovereignty.
After Carney confirmed he had, he was asked how Trump had responded to the request.
“Well, look, I don’t know. He’s the president, he’s his own person,” Carney said.
Despite the president’s 51st state remarks during the meeting, Hoekstra said he believes the matter has been resolved.
“The president clearly acknowledged it takes two to tango,” he said. “That’s behind us. It was never a barrier to discussing these other issues. Now begins the framework.”
Canada and US ‘Great Friends’
Hoekstra is new to his role as ambassador to Canada. He was sworn in on April 15 in Washington and received his official credentials from Governor General Mary Simon on April 29. Hoekstra served as the U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands during the first Trump administration and was chair of the Michigan Republican Party during the 2024 U.S. election.
Hoekstra, a former Michigan congressman, stressed the friendship between the two countries during the interview, saying the United States has always seen Canada as a friend and ally.
“We are great friends. We have been great friends for such a long period of time. You’re not going to change those personal relationships. You’re not going to change those economic relationships, national security related. They were never in jeopardy,” he said.
“Is it a little bit of: ‘OK, let’s get over what’s happened in the last 90 days?’ Yeah, we did that. But the relationship, from my perspective, and I think from the president’s perspective, was never in jeopardy.”
U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, along with goods and auto parts not compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement, continue to be enforced. Hoekstra acknowledged there are ongoing challenges in the economic relationship between the two countries that need to be sorted out, but said Trump is not specifically targeting Canada.
He described Trump’s strategy as one that honours the campaign commitments made during his re-election last November to ensure the United States is not being taken advantage of in its trade relationships, noting that he has adopted a global perspective on his handling of the matter.
“When you take a global approach, yes, Canada falls within that,” Hoekstra said “Some folks have not liked that approach, but it is what the president campaigned on, and he’s doing exactly what he said he was going to do.”
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
