Canada as the 51st US state? "USA losing importance" - expert on Trump's threats
US President Donald Trump announces new measures against Canada almost weekly. A Canadian political scientist classifies the threats from the large neighboring country.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Donald Trump wants to make Canada the 51st state of the United States - an idea he has already expressed several times.
- Canadian political scientist Philippe Bourbeau comments on Trump's statements in an interview with blue News.
- "Trump wants to make North America a powerful continent again," says Bourbeau.
Since his return to the White House, Donald Trump has been making provocative announcements. At the end of January, the US president wanted to make good on one of his threats and introduce a 25% tax on Canadian products imported into the US. Shortly afterwards, he agreed to a 30-day pause in his plan.
However, if the measure is finally implemented, it would be a serious blow for Canada. Especially as the country is currently in a political crisis.
Philippe Bourbeau, Professor and Co-Director of the International Institute of Economic Diplomacy at the École des hautes études commerciales (HEC) in Montreal, explains the situation in an interview with blue News.
After ten years as Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau has announced his resignation. What are the reasons behind his decision?
About the person
Philippe Bourbeau is Professor in the Department of International Affairs and Co-Director of the International Institute of Economic Diplomacy at HEC Montreal.
Philippe Bourbeau: In Canada's parliamentary system, it is very important to have the support of your parliamentary group. In other words, the entirety of the MPs who support the Prime Minister and very often belong to the same political party.
In the case of Justin Trudeau, there have been several indications for some time that he had lost this support and that some wanted a change at the head of the Liberal Party. It must be said that the last two years have been particularly difficult for Trudeau in terms of public opinion polling. Canadians regularly expressed that they were fed up with the Prime Minister's leadership. He therefore withdrew due to pressure, both publicly and within his party.
According to several polls, the leader of the Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre, is the favorite to succeed Justin Trudeau. Can he be compared to Donald Trump?
Although caution should be exercised when making such comparisons, one tends to associate the Conservative Party with the Republicans, while the Liberal Party is more closely associated with the Democrats. As for Pierre Poilievre, he is undoubtedly much more divisive than the other leaders of Canadian political formations.
One must understand that he embodies a clear distinction in the country's orientation towards the Liberal Party, which has been in power for almost ten years. Poilievre advocates more restrictive trade, monetary and economic policies than the Liberals. He also has certain social positions that might tend to snub Canadians, whereas Trudeau has presented himself primarily as a champion of standards, particularly international standards.
However, Pierre Poilievre should not be compared to Donald Trump. Their personalities are completely different. The two men also do not have the same background, as Trump is a businessman while Poilievre is a professional politician.
On the other hand, I still believe that the events of the last few days are changing the political situation in Canada. Since the beginning of 2025, several observers believe that the US pressure on Canada will benefit the Liberal Party and Mike Carney - the potential next leader of the party and Prime Minister. Under these circumstances, the Conservative Party and the Bloc québécois are forced to position themselves in this new situation.
Some members of the Canadian Parliament believe that Elon Musk could interfere in these elections by supporting Pierre Poilievre. Could this really happen?
This is an element that can take place insofar as any businessman can interfere in elections according to his interests. However, the case of Elon Musk is a little special, as he obviously holds a very important position with Donald Trump. He will undoubtedly try to exert influence. Whether this will be decisive in the Canadian context remains to be seen.
Donald Trump also made headlines when he reiterated that Canada should become the "51st US state" to prevent the introduction of a tax on Canadian products. To what ends is he using this aggressive rhetoric?
This discussion about the 51st state clearly shows that the USA is losing ground on the global chessboard, both geopolitically and economically. Donald Trump is building ramparts to reverse this trend. I think he is trying to revive the Monroe Doctrine(editor's note: doctrine that condemns any European interference in North American affairs as much as the US in European affairs). By also threatening the Panama Canal and Greenland, he wants to turn North America back into a powerful continent in order to target China and then Europe.
Punitive tariffs of 25 percent or a wave of immigration from the USA: Donald Trump is making Canadians sweat with fear. How can the country stand up to its big neighbor?
I don't see things clearly. You can't resist or capitulate. You have to find a way in between, and of course you have to have a clear and coherent strategy. The goal is to find common ground. But Canada must realize that the challenges are interlinked and therefore should not be negotiated sector by sector.
