Trump says Canada would ‘cease to exist’ without the U.S., sparking heated reactions online
U.S. President Donald Trump says Canada would “cease to exist” without American support — and online, a lot of people aren’t having it.
The comments came Wednesday in the Oval Office, where Trump spoke to reporters after a signing ceremony.
“It’s costing us $200 billion a year to support Canada,” Trump said during the briefing.
“We can make our own cars. We’ve got more energy than they do — more than anyone else, really. We don’t need their lumber, we’ve got plenty of our own. We’ve got everything they’re selling to us,” he added. “Especially cars.”
Trump said he has no interest in importing Canadian-made vehicles and wants more of the auto industry based in the U.S.
“When I put tariffs on Canada, they’re paying 25 per cent. And that could go higher, especially on cars,” Trump said.
“All we’re saying with tariffs is that we don’t want their cars. No offense, but we want to build our own,” he added, noting that car production in the U.S. will soon hit record levels thanks to new auto plants under construction.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration slapped a 25 per cent tariff on all imported vehicles, with an exception for non-American components used in the final product.
He’s previously announced that tariffs on car parts will kick in by May 3.
Although the president said there’s no plan to raise tariffs right now, he didn’t rule it out in the future.
Trump also claimed he once asked former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau why the U.S. should keep “subsidizing” Canada — and said Trudeau didn’t have an answer.
“He couldn’t respond,” Trump said. “As a state, it works great.”
“If we weren’t spending that money — and Trudeau said this to me — they’d cease to exist. That’s what he said. And it’s true. As a country, they’d be gone.”
These remarks come after what appeared to be a brief pause in Trump’s long-standing jabs at Canada, after spending much of 2024 referring to it as the “51st state” and calling Trudeau a “governor.”
Asked who he thinks will win the next Canadian election, Trump declined to weigh in.
“It’s hard enough running this one,” he said.
He did, however, mention that the U.S. is working on a deal with Canada.
“We’ll see how it goes.”
Trump’s latest comments sparked a wave of reactions from Canadians on social media — and many were not pleased.
“Mr. Trump, we don’t miss your bourbon, your Californian wine, or that excuse for beer you call American,” one person posted on X. “You started this tariff war, and honestly, Canada’s doing better! Our Niagara wineries are booming, thanks!”
“He’s dreaming again. The U.S. needs Canada more than we need them. There’s a big world out there,” another wrote.
“We don’t need America. We can build a strong economy through better trade partners. It won’t be easy, but it’s possible.”
Still, some acknowledged that Canada does rely heavily on its southern neighbor.
“We ARE dependent on the U.S. — economically and militarily. Why do so many Canadians act like that’s not true?” someone asked.
“Without the U.S., we’d be invaded. That’s 100% guaranteed,” another person added.