Canadian Politician Fires Back at Trump's '51st State' Remarks, Calls It 'Act of War'

The diplomatic tension between Canada and the U.S. reached a new flashpoint this week, as Canadian Member of Parliament Charlie Angus accused the Trump administration of committing an "act of war" over comments made by President Donald Trump. Canada's liberal New Democratic Party MP took issue with Trump's repeated references to Canada as America's "51st state" and the administration's recent trade tariffs.

"Well, I think Marco Rubio probably needs to be sent back to school," Angus said during an interview, pulling no punches. "When you say that someone doesn’t have a right to have a country, that’s an act of war. When you rip up, arbitrarily, trade agreements and threaten and say you’re going to break a country, that’s an act of war. And Canadians have responded in kind." It's safe to say Angus isn't holding back—and neither are Canadians.

Angus was reacting to comments made by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his recent trip to Canada for the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting. Rubio, when asked about Trump's "51st state" remarks, sidestepped the issue, explaining that it wasn't a topic of discussion at the summit. However, he did shed light on the origin of Trump's rhetoric, recalling a meeting between Trump and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in late 2024. During the meeting, Trudeau allegedly stated that Canada couldn't survive as a nation-state if the U.S. imposed tariffs. Trump responded by suggesting Canada should simply become a U.S. state instead.

It's hard not to imagine Trudeau's reaction when Trump made this suggestion. Trudeau, who stepped down as prime minister earlier this year, might now be watching this drama unfold from the comfort of his post-political life.

Canada's newly minted Prime Minister, Mark Carney, has quickly made his position clear on the "51st state" idea, calling it "crazy." And honestly, who could blame him? Canadians have launched boycotts against U.S. products in response to the tariffs, which include a 25% tax on imported goods from Canada starting April 2. The economic impact of these boycotts on U.S. businesses has already been felt, with a reported 10% drop in Canadian travel to the U.S., costing an estimated 140,000 American jobs.

Trump, meanwhile, doubled down on his rhetoric during an appearance on Fox News, claiming that the U.S. subsidizes Canada by $200 billion a year. "Here’s my problem with Canada," he said. "Canada was meant to be the 51st state because we subsidize Canada by $200 billion a year. We don’t need their cars, we don’t need their lumber, we have a lot of lumber. … We don’t need their energy, we don’t need anything, we certainly don’t want their automobiles." Strong words, but are they realistic? Maybe someone should remind Trump that trade relationships aren't a one-way street.

The situation between Canada and the U.S. is escalating, with economic and diplomatic consequences looming. As Canadians continue to push back, it's clear that this isn't just a war of words—it's a battle for national pride and economic survival.