Trump revives '51st state' talk as Canada enters recession
U.S. president reignites rhetoric after new economic data. Canadian leaders dismiss remarks as political theatre but backdrop is complicated.
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Donald Trump is talking about Canada becoming the "51st state" again — and this time he has an economic slowdown to point to.
The U.S. president reignited the rhetoric Tuesday night after Statistics Canada reported that the country had entered a technical recession, posting on social media about Canada's economic difficulties. The timing wasn't lost on Canadians watching the exchange unfold in real time.
Canadian political leaders have largely dismissed Trump's annexation rhetoric as political theatre. Ontario Premier Doug Ford fired back, tweeting that "Canada will never be the 51st state. Canada is not for sale" — while also noting that Ontario created 680 percent more jobs than the U.S. in April, adjusted for population.
But Trump's latest comments landed against a more complicated backdrop: an economy showing signs of strain, growing anxiety about jobs and affordability, and a fresh debate over whether Canada is already in recession. Economists caution that a technical recession — defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth — does not necessarily mean the economy is collapsing. Employment and other factors need to be considered.
Still, the combination of economic weakness and Trump's renewed focus on Canada's troubles has sharpened debate about the country's economic direction and its relationship with the U.S.