Trump says he would use ‘economic force’ to join Canada with U.S. | CBC News
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday continued to threaten significant tariffs on other countries and said he would be willing to use “economic force,” not military, to join Canada and the United States together.
“Canada and the United States, that would really be something,” he said at a news conference in Palm Beach, Fla.
“You get rid of the artificially drawn line and you take a look at what that looks like and it would also be much better nation security. Don’t forget: We basically protect Canada.”
Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, made the remarks from Mar-a-Lago in response to a question about whether he would use military force to “annex and acquire” Canada.
President-elect Donald Trump again outlined his issues with Canada on Tuesday, citing concerns about Canada’s military and asserting that the U.S. is subsidizing the Canadian economy. He ruled out using military force on Canada, saying he would rely on ‘economic force’ when he returns to the Oval Office.
He later acknowledged he has no “right” to absorb the country into his own but, criticizing American spending on Canadian goods, said the United States is not obligated to support its closest neighbour economically.
“We don’t need the cars, we don’t need the lumber … We don’t need anything they have,” Trump said. “We have a right not to help them with their financial difficulties.”
In only his second news conference since his election victory in November, Trump reiterated his intent to impose “substantial” tariffs on Canada and Mexico when returns to the White House in less than two weeks.
Trump previously threatened to impose a 25 per cent tariff on all imports from the two neighbouring nations unless they do more to address border security. He has also spoken repeatedly in favour about Canada becoming “the 51st state.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who said Monday he will resign from office, did not immediately make comment on Trump’s remarks.
Trump won’t rule out military for Panama Canal, Greenland
Though he said he was not considering military force on Canada, he remarkably did rule out that option to have the U.S. take back control of the Panama Canal and acquire the Danish territory of Greenland.
“No, I can’t assure you on either of those two. But I can say this: we need them for economic security,” he said of the latter.
He said he would “tariff Denmark at a very high level” if it does not give Greenland to the U.S.
Mexican, Danish Panamanian authorities did not immediately comment. Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino has previously rejected the notion of turning the canal back to the U.S., which had owned it before handing over control to Panama in 1999.
More to come.
