President Donald Trump repeated his desire to have Canada join the United States in an interview with Laura Ingraham on Tuesday.
“Canada was meant to be the 51st state,” he said. “We subsidize Canada by over $200 billion a year. We don’t need their lumber, we don’t need their energy, we don’t need anything. We certainly don’t want their automobiles. Millions of automobiles are sent in. I’d rather have them made in Michigan.”
Trump argued that the U.S. should not send billions of dollars to Canada when it would be better for Canada to join the U.S. Trump pointed out benefits to both sides, such as Canadians paying lower taxes and American farmers avoiding high tariffs on dairy products.
“Canada pays very little for defense. They think we’re going to defend them,” Trump said. “In NATO, they pay less than anybody else.”
Trump also cited the 250% tariff that Canada imposes on U.S. dairy products that exceed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement quotas.
From an economic standpoint, the addition of Canada to the U.S. would seem beneficial to both countries. The U.S. would be able to use Canada’s natural resources, such as lumber and oil, and Canada would have the protection of the U.S. Canada becoming the 51st state would also allow both countries to avoid each other’s tariffs.
Politically speaking, the addition of a new state with the area and population of Canada could throw congressional representation out of balance. Canada would double the current land area of the U.S. while adding a population roughly equivalent to California’s.
If the number of House seats remains the same, Canada would account for more than 40 congressional seats in addition to its two senators. Liberals currently lead in polling for the next election. If those numbers translated to Canada as the 51st state, the gains in seats would likely be enough to flip the House and possibly even the Senate into Democratic control.
The sudden shift would disturb the already delicate balance of power.
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Trump may have a different point, however, when he talks about Canada joining the U.S. The U.S. already gives Canada so much support that it would make sense for Canada to become a state, justifying the spending.
Trump has entertained the idea of Canada joining the U.S. several times since taking office. His latest interview gave insight into his motives: The U.S. is sending subsidies to Canada as if it were already the 51st state. Canada can either make it official and join the U.S., or the U.S. should cut the subsidies.