Trump’s Push for CanMerica: Is This for Real?

President Trump has been trolling the Canadian government hard as of late about making Canada a new state; at least, we think he’s trolling… But his rhetoric has become more intense in recent days, with him claiming on Tuesday that he would acquire Canada by “economic force.” He stated this in response to a question wherein he was asked if he would use military force. 

Well, it is unlikely that the Donald is serious about making Canada a new state, but for the sake of it, let’s consider what that would mean and what it would take to make it a reality.

Off the bat, would it be a huge mistake for Trump—a Republican—to absorb Canada as a state and therefore give Canadians voting rights? Wouldn’t this just mean America would have another “California”? 

Now, Canadians are not nearly as liberal and socialist across the board as many Americans think. Yes, Justin Trudeau has been in power for a while, and he has ushered in some insane left-wing policies. But Americans need to know that the Liberals do not have the popular vote, which belongs to the Conservatives. And, we have a multiparty system not unlike European systems, so, often, the party in power is there for reasons that are more strategically mathematical and with the help of coalitions with other parties. Just like in the United States, there are “red” states and “blue” states—metaphorically, of course, because we don’t have states —albeit the colors are reverse up here. 

Canada, in my opinion, would not be another California, meaning a Democrat stronghold, but more like a swing state that is more fickle than fixed. Furthermore, the Conservatives are predicted by every poll and expert imaginable to achieve perhaps the greatest landslide in history in the next election, and the policies espoused by our right-leaning party are not wholly different than the current Republican platform; it is all “Canada first” and about cleaning up the border, lowering taxes, and “drill baby drill.” I think many Americans would be surprised at what Canada is really like politically if they were to do a deep dive.

That being said, I can’t see it being worth the risk, as far as elections are concerned, for Trump to truly desire a Canadian state because Canadians are largely patriotic, and the vast majority do not want to become American. So, I imagine a takeover would sour the Republican brand in the minds of Canucks for a generation. Not a good idea.

We should also consider if a peaceful—that is, legal—takeover of Canada is even possible, let alone probable. 

Canada is a sovereign nation with a functioning government, a currency, a military, etc. There is no easy “process” to simply acquire another nation, and that process certainly doesn’t exist here. The closest civil or legal process that could even be hypothesized about how Trump could make Canada American would involve the potentiality for Canadian provinces to achieve sovereignty, which is technically possible. However, not even Quebec was able to get enough votes in a referendum to do that the two times they tried, and there has historically been a strong separatist sentiment in Quebec. As far as the idea of joining the U.S. is concerned, we are not talking only about secession but joining a new nation. 

And, there is simply no concept in Canadian law for how every province would separate and join a new nation. 

At the same time, we are in uncharted territory by even considering this, so maybe there doesn’t need to be a process. Maybe the Donald will come to Parliament Hill as the Don and make Canada an offer it cannot refuse. Although, that offer would have to be out of this world, and I am not sure what it would be.

It isn’t as if Canada is a third-world nation that can’t keep its lights on or feed its people. Yes, we are not in a golden age under Trudeau—who will be officially gone very soon—but we are far from a fallen nation in need of a new currency and regime to help us build wells for running water. If Trump is going to make a deal with Canadian lawmakers to bring about a change of sovereignty, I cannot, for the life of me, even begin to fathom what that might be. 

But we cannot discount the Donald when he proposes the impossible because accomplishing the impossible is something he is known to do. It was supposed to be a joke that he would even run to be the Republican candidate, let alone the president. He won in both cases. We cannot discount the Donald when he proposes the impossible because accomplishing the impossible is something he is known to do.Tweet This

Of course, it is likely that Trump is demonstrating to the world his “art of the deal” and his statements about absorbing Canada are so outlandish because he wants something else that would be massive—but smaller in comparison to taking over the Great White North.

What his ultimate goal is, I am not sure, and I don’t even know if he is sure. But there are a few potentialities that seem reasonable.

Perhaps he simply hates Trudeau—understandable, to say the least—and is sick of being maligned by Canadian leftist politicians and journalists and wants to see them burn. Trump is not above retribution and revenge. The Canadian establishment media has blasted Trump for a decade, and Trudeau has not helped the cause. Trump senses weakness as Trudeau is floundering, and he sees this as a moment to utterly humiliate Trudeau and anyone attached to him. Trump may be engaged in an assassination of the Liberal brand, which is good for Republicans because it helps to ensure that Conservatives will be in power for longer, and they are easier to work with than wacky leftists.

It could be that Trump is merely looking to back Canada into a corner so he can get our goods at cheaper rates. If a country is threatened with a takeover, they are more likely to give things away at a lower rate.

Lastly, maybe Trump has some sort of imperial motivation. It is hard to imagine Trump wanting Canada to be a literal part of the U.S., but it is not hard to imagine Trump setting up some sort of EU scenario or creating another Puerto Rico type of location. While it is often lucrative for Canadians to set up shop in the U.S. and take advantage of American markets, the opposite is also true. If it weren’t for wacko environmentalists, Canada should be wealthy like the United Arab Emirates. We have a small population, incredible infrastructure, and oil deposits that would make the Saudis blush. 

Could Trump be angling for some sort of agreement that makes it easier for Canadians and Americans to live and work in both nations? More mobility between the nations would help explain why Canada has been called on to tighten its immigration and border standards with alarming urgency.

There is a new AI data center opening in Alberta, and it might be the biggest in the world. They are basically building a new city where the center is, and it will be incredibly wealthy. It is opening up there because the oil and weather are perfect for the energy and cooling demands required by the machines. It could be that as the tech world transitions away from Silicon Valley to Grande Prairie, maybe Trump sees the writing on the wall and wants to get a piece of Canada while he still can. 

Of course, maybe everything I have suggested is wrong, and maybe we will see the Donald waltzing into Ottawa and taking over, or maybe it is all an epic stunt to flex his muscles.