'One of the nastiest countries': Amid tariff war, Trump's bizarre response on why he is so tough with Canada

Amid tariff battle, US President Donald Trump has reiterated his call for Canada to become the 51st state of the United States. He called Canada "a nasty country to deal with", amid the ongoing tariff war between the two countries, triggered by Trump's tariff moves and reciprocated by Canada.

Trump, speaking to Fox News host Laura Ingraham in an interview, called the people who worked for Canada's former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau "nasty." "I deal with every country, indirectly or directly. One of the nastiest countries to deal with is Canada," Trump said.

The president claimed that the reason he’s so tough on America’s northern neighbor is because it’s “meant to be our fifty-first state.”

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“You’re tougher with Canada than you are with our biggest adversaries. Why?” asked Laura Ingraham. “Only because it’s meant to be our fifty-first state,” Trump said, when Ingraham attempted to interject. “No, no but listen to this for a second.”


“We need their territory. They have territorial advantage. We’re not going to let them get close to China, right?” pressed the Fox host. “Look, I deal with every country—directly or indirectly. One of the nastiest countries to deal with is Canada,” Trump said about the longtime U.S. ally.

Trump again calls Canada '51st state'

Trump continued, "Canada was meant to be the 51st state because we subsidize Canada by $200 billion a year," referencing an exaggerated estimate of the US trade deficit with Canada, which the U.S. Trade Representative's Office placed at $63.3 billion for 2024. Trump also took aim at Justin Trudeau, Canada's now-former prime minister who was succeeded by Mark Carney last week.

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"One of the nastiest countries to deal with is Canada. Now, this was Trudeau — good old Justin. I call him 'Governor Trudeau.' His people were nasty and they weren't telling the truth," the Republican leader told Fox News host Laura Ingraham during an interview.

Apart from the ongoing trade war, Trump has continuously referred to Canada as the 51st state and even called Canada's former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, “Governor Trudeau”.

Speaking about the USA's reliance on Canadian imports, Trump said, "We don't need their lumber, we don't need their energy, we don't need anything. We certainly don't want their automobiles," he said.

"We don't need their lumber, we don't need their energy, we don't need anything. We certainly don't want their automobiles," he said. When asked by Fox News host Laura Ingraham on why Trump was “tougher” on Canada than their other “adversaries”, he said, "Only because it's meant to be our 51st state."

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The American President, who began his second term in January, has repeatedly joked about making Canada the "51st U.S. state," a remark that the Canadian government has firmly dismissed.

When Ingraham suggested that Trump's policies might boost the electoral prospects of the Carney-led Liberal Party—especially with Canada's federal election approaching in October—he responded that working with the Liberals would likely be easier than dealing with the Conservatives, the main opposition party that has consistently led in opinion polls. "I don't care. I think it's easier to deal with a Liberal, and maybe they'll win, but it doesn't matter to me at all," he stated.

Pierre Poilievre not my friend, says Trump

Trump further said that Pierre Poilievre, Canada's leader of opposition, is "no friend of mine." "The Conservative that's running is, stupidly, no friend of mine. I don't know him, but he said negative things," he said without naming Poilievre, who is running to be Canada's prime minister.

The Liberals, who have been in power since Trudeau was elected PM in 2015, just weeks ago looked headed towards certain defeat to the Conservatives in the election, which must be held by October 20 but could happen earlier.

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But they are mounting a major comeback after Trudeau stepped down and Carney, a former central banker, was elected by the Liberals as their leader. Several recent opinion polls have shown the Liberals closing the gap or even ahead of the Conservatives.

Recently, Mark Carney, an economist and former governor of the Bank of England replaced Trudeau and promised to “stand up to” Trump. He also said that the two countries will “sit down and have a conversation about our broader partnership with the United States” only after Trump stops making “disrespectful” comments about Canada's sovereignty.

Trump also answered if his policies will change the political landscape of Canada which is expecting its federal elections by October, saying, it's easier to deal with the ruling Liberals than the opposition Conservatives. “I don't care. I think it's easier to deal, actually, with a Liberal and maybe they're going to win, but I don't really care. It doesn't matter to me at all,” he said.