“Terrifying” or “Empty Threat”? How Canadians View Trump’s “51st State” Plan Original: Sequoia Media Group SMG North America
The Canadian Press asked Canadians from Halifax to Vancouver for their thoughts on U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s proposal to “turn Canada into the 51st state through ‘economic power.'”
Here are their responses:
Halifax
“The next Prime Minister must be able to stand up and defend Canada’s sovereignty.”
— Chinwe Chima
“We focus too much on this nonsense. I think it’s like kids saying ridiculous things—if you ignore them, they go away. If you give them credibility and respond, they keep doing it because they know it gets a reaction.”
— Mark MacDonald
“What makes me a bit nervous is that (Trump) might learn some ‘lessons’ from his friend Mr. Putin and what’s happening overseas.”
— Mark McMullin
“This isn’t something to joke about; it’s really upsetting.”
— Cynthia Alday
Montreal
“I do think he’s a bit crazy. But on the other hand, it’s a little scary because we’ve already seen what he’s capable of.”
— Mireille Plourde
“It’s very important to take him seriously because we still don’t know what he’s truly capable of. This is extremely frightening for all Canadians and for our economy.”
— Simon Genereux-Vien
Ottawa
“I think it’s absurd, and he’s just posturing. We are not the 51st state, and we never will be. We are Canada and always will be Canada.”
— Sherry Seguin
“Even though our Prime Minister has decided to step down, I’m still glad. I liked how (Prime Minister Justin Trudeau) openly opposed this. I wish more members of the Canadian government would take a stronger stance against these kinds of ideas.”
— Daniel Law
Toronto
“I think he’s unrealistic, but it definitely makes a lot of Canadians nervous.”
— Kate Rogers
“Empty threats, empty threats. This is just ‘Trump 2.0,’ that’s all. He’s used to trying to gain influence over nations and people this way. That’s just how he operates.”
— Blaine Matthew
Vancouver
“I think he should do his homework first, study a business plan, and see if this is even feasible, because we are a different society with a different culture.”
— Ari Ron
“Unfortunately, we’re seeing similar things happening all over the world. Personally, I find it deeply concerning.”
— Fabian Muhlenbruch