Canada would ‘cease to ex’ without US, Trump says days before Canadian election | World News

With just days to go before Canada heads to polls, US President Donald Trump reinserted himself into Canadian politics declaring that Canada “would cease to ex” without the United States. Speaking from the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump claimed the US doesn’t need Canadian goods and again floated the idea of Canada functioning like a US state.
“I have to be honest, as a state, it works great,” Trump said, according to South China Morning Post. “Ninety-five per cent of what they do is they buy from us and they sell to us.”
Trump also claimed—without evidence—that the US “subsidizes” Canada $200 billion annually, a figure that has been widely debunked trade experts.
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Tariff threats ahead of vote
Trump’s comments included renewed threats to impose additional tariffs on Canadian imports. “We don’t really want Canada to make cars for us, to put it bluntly. We want to make our own cars,” he said. “When we put tariffs on, all we’re doing is we’re saying, ‘We don’t want your cars in all due respect.’”

Currently, the US imposes 25 per cent tariffs on certain Canadian goods, including vehicles. While Trump noted he’s not immediately considering increasing car tariffs, he left the door open. “At some point, it could go up.”
According to CBC News, the US President also said: “We don’t need their oil. We don’t need their lumber. We don’t need their cars.”
Carney pushes back
Canada’s Prime Miner Mark Carney, seeking re-election, responded to Trump’s remarks promoting internal economic unity. “We can give ourselves far more than Donald Trump can ever take away,” he said, referencing his pledge to eliminate trade barriers between Canada’s provinces and territories July 1.Story continues below this ad
Carney noted that Canada’s longstanding trade relationship with the US has shifted dramatically under Trump, particularly due to tariffs and the president’s rhetoric about turning Canada into a “51st state.”
At a campaign stop in Victoria, Carney urged voters to back his party: “This is a time for serious leadership—of a united country. We need to come together so we can fight President Trump together.”
Opposition leaders also weighed in. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called Trump’s tariff threats “devastating news” and criticized the federal government for not immediately boosting employment insurance support in response. “It’s impossible for workers to survive with anything less than [their salary],” Singh said.

Tensions rise as trade remains a concern
Recent polling data from CBC’s Vote Compass suggests Canadian voters were initially concerned with US relations, although the economy and cost of living have taken center stage since the leaders’ debates.Story continues below this ad
Canadians are preparing to vote on April 28, as Trump inss that he is not trying to influence Canada’s election.
(With inputs from South China Morning Post, CBC)
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