U.S. President Donald Trump returned to calling Canada the “51st state” in an address to top military leaders on Tuesday, reviving rhetoric he has used before to describe and provoke Canada.Speaking at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia, Trump laid out his “Golden Dome” missile defence initiative before senior officials who had been hastily summoned for the event.The president told the audience that Canadian officials had contacted Washington in recent weeks to inquire about joining the missile shield. Trump said he responded that Canada could obtain the system free of charge if it joined the United States outright..He also suggested that Canadian industries were struggling under U.S. tariffs, which he claimed were redirecting business south of the border.Prime Minister Mark Carney has spoken with Trump multiple times in recent months, though Ottawa has not disclosed details of those conversations.Trump has repeatedly used the “51st state” label for Canada throughout his presidency. He first employed the phrase during trade negotiations in 2018, when he accused Ottawa of benefiting unfairly from U.S. markets while resisting American demands..He has since returned to the remark at campaign rallies and in off-the-cuff comments, often to underline his belief that Canada relies heavily on U.S. protection and economic ties.While the quip has sometimes been brushed off as a joke, Canadian officials have typically sidestepped responding directly.Analysts note that the rhetoric plays well with Trump’s domestic audience, framing Canada as dependent on U.S. policy while reinforcing his America-first posture.
