Controversy is spreading online after a Fox News contributor said a recent hot-mic moment involving Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may be a deliberate act of manipulation.
On Friday in Toronto, Trudeau said over hot-mic that U.S. President Donald Trump's talk of making Canada the 51st state was "a real thing."
He suggested Trump is interested in Canada's critical minerals and resources, saying, "I suggest that not only does the Trump administration know how many critical minerals we have but that may be even why they keep talking about absorbing us and making us the 51st state."
Trudeau also mentioned Trump has "it in mind that one of the easiest ways of doing that is absorbing our country."
According to Fox News' Guy Benson, Trudeau may have wanted the audio released in order to boost his popularity — and that of the Liberal Party of Canada — setting Liberals up as Canada's salvation against Trump before an upcoming federal election.
"I have another theory here, by the way, I'm not sure that was an accidental hot-mic moment from Justin Trudeau," said Benson in a broadcast.
"I think Trudeau knows exactly what's happening, and he wants to pump the threat of an annexation of Canada because he believes that can help his party. They have been floundering in the polls. They've been down for a year and a half to the Conservatives by 20 points."
Benson added, "But the idea that maybe scary Trump from the U..S would try to overthrow Canadian sovereignty could be this political lifeline to the political left in Canada."
"And I think that's why he's going to hype this," said Benson. "There's a political advantage potentially there for the Liberals up in Canada to use that threat in the elections, upcoming."
