(The Center Square)–White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt denied any change in President Donald Trump’s stance toward Canada since the start of the northern nation’s federal election process.
A Canadian reporter asked Leavitt on Tuesday why Trump had seemingly stopped talking about Canada potentially joining the U.S. as its 51st state. Leavitt responded by denying the premise of the question.
“I would reject the president’s position on Canada has shifted, perhaps he just hasn’t been asked about Canada [in] questions from this group,” the press secretary said. “The president still maintains his position on Canada – the United States has been subsidizing Canada’s national defense and he believes that Canadians would benefit greatly from becoming the 51st state.”
Trump has repeatedly said that Canada should join the U.S. and routinely mocked former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by calling him “governor.” Trump has not used that term to describe Trudeau successor, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Carney said last month after a call with Trump that “the president respected Canada’s sovereignty today both in his private and public comments.”
Trudeau previously said Canada would never become part of the U.S. And Carney has struck a similar tone on the issue, saying Canada “never, ever, will be part of America in any way, shape, or form.”
