Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has defiantly hit back at Donald Trump’s threat to use “economic force” to make Canada become the 51st US state – warning there was not “a snowball’s chance in hell” of this happening.
In an angry parting shot, shortly after announcing he is soon to be stepping down as leader, Mr Trudeau rebutted Mr Trump’s threats that he would force Canada to be absorbed into the US.
In a social media post, the outgoing Canadian PM hit back, saying: “There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States.
“Workers and communities in both our countries benefit from being each other’s biggest trading and security partner.”
The angry post was in response to incoming US President Trump’s press conference at his Florida home on Tuesday in which he once again appeared to bait his neighbour.
“You get rid of that artificially drawn line, and you take a look at what that looks like, and it would also be much better for national security,” Mr Trump said of the border at the press conference at his Florida Mar-a Lago home.
“Canada and the United States, that would really be something.”
Mr Trump then reiterated his threat to bring in a “substantial” tariff on Canadian goods unless the country took steps to increase security on the shared US border.
The President-elect has in recent weeks repeatedly needled Canada about it becoming the 51st US state.
But Canada’s foreign minister, Mélanie Joly, also pushed back after the latest threats, writing on social media that Mr Trump’s comments showed a “complete lack of understanding of what makes Canada a strong country”.
She said Canada “will never back down in the face of threats”. But the remarks are likely to further fuel political turmoil in Canada after the resignation of its prime minister Mr Trudeau, and the suspension of parliament until late March.
Earlier this week, the embattled Canadian PM announced he was resigning, though added that he will stay on as prime minister until the governing Liberals elect a new leader, expected sometime by late March.
Canada’s parliament has been prorogued – or suspended – until 24 March to allow time for the leadership race.
