As Canadians turned out to vote in a high-stakes federal election on Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump once again called for Canada to become the 51st state of the United States—prompting a sharp and defiant response from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Carney, who secured a second term as prime minister after leading his Liberal Party to victory, used his post-election speech to deliver a blistering rebuke of Trump’s continued rhetoric.
“We are over the shock of the American betrayal, but we should never forget the lessons,” Carney declared in his victory address.
“As I’ve been warning for months, America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country,” he said. “These are not idle threats. President Trump is trying to break us so America can own us. That will never—that will never, ever happen.”
Carney’s speech marked one of his most forceful critiques yet of Trump’s foreign policy toward Canada, describing it as a direct threat to national sovereignty. He urged Canadians to remain unified and vigilant in the face of growing pressure from their southern neighbor.
Trump’s Provocative Election-Day Message
Just hours before polls opened, Trump posted a message on Truth Social encouraging Canadians to elect a leader who would make Canada the “cherished 51st state” of the U.S., promising economic and military benefits in return.
“Elect the man who has the strength and wisdom to cut your taxes in half, increase your military power for free… if Canada becomes the cherished 51st State of the United States of America,” Trump wrote.
“Look how beautiful this land mass would be. Free access with NO BORDER. ALL POSITIVES WITH NO NEGATIVES. IT WAS MEANT TO BE!”
This is not the first time Trump has floated the idea of annexing Canada, a notion widely condemned across the Canadian political spectrum. Both Prime Minister Carney and Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre have rejected such ideas as dangerous and delusional.
Read Also: Trump to Canada: ‘Become the 51st state’, Canada replies they prefer sovereignty
Election Outcome: A Divided but Decided Parliament
As of late Tuesday night, Carney’s Liberals were on track to win 163 seats, while the opposition Conservatives had secured 146. Although Carney has won another term, it remains unclear whether he will be able to form a majority government, possibly forcing him to rely on smaller parties for support.
Despite the uncertainty in Parliament, Carney’s speech struck a firm tone of national resilience and independence.
“We must accept that the world has fundamentally changed,” he said. “The system of mutual respect and cooperation that Canada and the United States built after World War II has ended. We must now define our future on our own terms.”
As tensions between Ottawa and Washington intensify, Carney’s re-election signals that many Canadians are rallying behind a message of sovereignty, unity, and resistance to external pressure—even from their closest ally.
