Ontario premier jokes that Canada should buy Minnesota, Alaska in response to Trump's annexation remarks
MINNEAPOLIS — The head of Canada's most populous province is taking shots at President-elect Donald Trump over his comments on annexing the country, joking that Canada should purchase Minnesota and Alaska in retaliation.
According to Canada's CTV News, Ontario Premier Doug Ford was questioned by a reporter on Monday about Trump's multi-prong threats to impose a 25% tariff on products from Canada and Mexico in the first hours of his presidency, as well as making Canada the "51st state."
"You know something, to the president, I'll make him a counteroffer. How about if we buy Alaska, and we'll throw in Minnesota and Minneapolis at the same time," Ford said.
Minnesota shares nearly a 550-mile border with Canada, with about 320 miles shared with Ontario.
Ford went on to say Trump is "joking," and a merger between the countries — which share the world's longest border — is "not realistic."
Trump said in November that his tariff plan, which also includes a 10% levy on all goods from China, was created in part to stop the flow of illegal immigration and drugs into the U.S.
In his first term, Trump put tariffs on Canada's aluminum and steel exports, with Canada countering by adding duties on several U.S. products.
In a CNN interview on Monday night, Ford downplayed the seriousness of his "counteroffer" comment but warned Trump not to rattle his country's relationship with its largest trading partner.
"We ship down 4.3 million barrels of oil every single day. We send electricity down to the U.S., critical minerals. These are all areas and different sectors that Americans need and why disrupt that," Ford said. "We're two greatest countries, strongest allies in the world, friends, so we need to get through this and start talking about trade."
The premier also urged Trump to focus his economic energies on China, which he accused of working with Mexico to harm jobs in the rest of North America.
"China shipping in cheap parts, putting them through Mexico. Mexico slapping on a 'Made in Mexico' sticker on and shipping up through the U.S. and Canada," Ford said.
Last month, Ford struck back at Trump's proposed tariffs by threatening to stop the flow of energy reserves from Ontario to the U.S. — impacting customers the most in Minnesota, Michigan and New York.
Ford said his country's government is also mulling the idea of funneling $700 million to the U.S. to beef up border security in exchange for negotiating a better trade deal.
Experts say Trump's proposed tariffs would harm both countries, with consumers in the U.S. expected to face steeper prices at the gas pump, as well as for items such as consumer electronics, footwear and home goods.
On Tuesday, Trump told reporters he is also eyeing takeovers of Greenland and the Panama Canal "for national security," and he's not ruling out military action to achieve his goals.
The comments come as Donald Trump Jr. is visiting Greenland, a fully autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
Trump Sr. tried unsuccessfully in his first term to purchase the world's biggest island.
"Greenland is ours," said Prime Minister Mute Egede last month. "We are not for sale and will never be for sale."
NOTE: The original airdate of the video attached to this article is Nov. 26, 2024.
