Global tensions are heating up. In fact, they’ve reached a boiling point.
And this foreign nations warns of an all our war thanks to this statement from Donald Trump.
Canadian MP Labels Trump’s “51st State” Remarks and Tariffs an “Act of War”
A debate has erupted across the border as a Canadian lawmaker accused the Trump administration of waging an “act of war” against its northern neighbor.
The accusation stems from President Donald Trump’s persistent references to Canada as the United States’ “51st state” and his decision to slap hefty tariffs on Canadian goods. Charlie Angus, a liberal member of Canada’s New Democratic Party, didn’t hold back during a Monday interview with the MeidasTouch Network, where he blasted the U.S. administration’s actions.
“Well, I think Marco Rubio probably needs to be sent back to school because 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,” Angus declared.
His sharp words came in response to comments made by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a recent trip to Canada for the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
Rubio found himself in the hot seat as reporters pressed him on Trump’s “51st state” quip. Speaking on March 14, Rubio sidestepped the tension, saying, “The president has made his argument as to why he thinks Canada would be better off joining the United States… for economic purposes.”
He emphasized that the G7 summit wasn’t the place for such discussions, noting, “There’s a disagreement between the president’s position and the position of the Canadian government. I don’t think that’s a mystery coming in, and it wasn’t a topic of conversation, because that’s not what this summit was about.”
The “51st state” label first surfaced in November 2024, shortly after Trump’s election victory, during a meeting with then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Rubio recounted the exchange:
“Trudeau basically says that if the U.S. imposes tariffs on Canada, Canada couldn’t survive as a nation-state, at which point the president said, ‘Well, then you should become a state.’ And that’s where this began.” Trump has since doubled down, arguing that Canada’s economic future would brighten as part of the U.S.
Trudeau stepped down as prime minister in January after nearly a decade in office, paving the way for Mark Carney to take the helm on March 14 following his election as leader of Canada’s Liberal Party.
Meanwhile, Trump’s tariff offensive intensified, with a 25% tax on steel and aluminum imports from all countries announced on March 12, and an additional 25% levy on all Canadian goods set to kick in on April 2. The moves have initiated widespread boycotts of American products in Canada.
Angus highlighted the economic retaliation, stating, “The boycott that Canada has launched against the United States is punishing. We were told in January a 10% drop in Canadian travel to the United States would cost 140,000 jobs.” He framed Canada’s response as a necessary pushback against U.S. aggression.
Trump, however, remained unapologetic. In a Tuesday appearance on Fox News with Laura Ingraham, he vented frustration over the U.S.-Canada trade dynamic. “Here’s my problem with Canada,” Trump 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… millions of automobiles are sent in, I’d rather have them made in Michigan, I’d rather have them made in South Carolina.”
.@POTUS: “Here's my problem with Canada. Canada was meant to be the 51st state, because we subsidize Canada by 200 BILLION dollars a year.” pic.twitter.com/fD94b26yLA
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) March 19, 2025
As tariffs loom and rhetoric heats up, the clash between the two nations shows no signs of cooling off. And if we know one thing about Donald Trump, he’s not backing down from this fight.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
