51 state ’a great discussion’ for Trump and Carney, says Hoekstra as president trolls ahead of trade talks

U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra addresses the Global Business Forum in Banff, Alta., on Sept. 25, 2025. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)

Photo: (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)

Carney says Canada won't react or respond to every post from the U.S. president.

U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra said making Canada the 51st state would be a great discussion for the president and Prime Minister Mark Carney to have, as the White House resurrects the sensitive topic just as trade talks gear up.

After backing off his annexation threats over the past few months, U.S. President Donald Trump took a stab at Canada in a Monday night social media post.

51st State! he wrote alongside an article about the Canadian economy hitting a technical recession.

Hoekstra amplified the post, sharing a screenshot on X on Tuesday.

Asked why he was reviving comments that many Canadians have interpreted as a threat to the country's sovereignty, Hoekstra said Wednesday, As the president's representative to Canada, I present the president's views.

He also tried to couch the repost, arguing he doesn't do it all himself.

For his part, Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday shrugged off Trump's latest jab as a post by an exceptionally active user of social media.

And we're not going to respond or react to everything that he posts.

WATCH | Hoekstra asked about sharing Trump's 51st state post:

Hoekstra asked about sharing Trump's 51st state post, says he represents president's views to Canada

U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra was asked Wednesday why he shared Donald Trump's post about Canada being the '51st state.' Hoekstra, who said his team reposts Trump content that deals with Canada, added that his job is to 'represent the president of the United States' and share his views transparently.

Asked if Canada was the 51st state, the U.S. envoy said that's great discussion for the president and the prime minister to have.

They will set that policy, he said during a visit to Quebec City. I have no instructions on the 51st state. If the president and the prime minister want to have that discussion, they can have that discussion, not me.

The resurfaced comments come not long before Canada gave official notice to the U.S. and Mexico that it wants the continental free trade deal between the three countries to be renewed.

In a letter to his American and Mexican counterparts, Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said the country is seeking renewal of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) when it comes up for review on July 1.

The White House has signalled over the past year that it does not want a simple renewal of CUSMA and instead wants to see significant changes (new window), including on automotive exports and access to Canada's dairy market.

WATCH | Carney says he's 'not going to respond' to Trump's latest 51st state post:

When asked about U.S. President Donald Trump's recently reiterated 51st state threat against Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney said 'we're not going to respond or react' to every one of the president's social media posts. 'It's an administration that we have to work with,' Carney said.

Hoekstra had said last year that it was time to move on from the president's 51st state taunts.

It's done, he told CBC News in May 2025, suggesting Trump had abandoned ideas of annexing Canada.

David Paterson, Ontario's representative in Washington, D.C., said Tuesday that the U.S. president's trolling is typical.

I don't think we should get too upset about those things, Paterson told CBC News Network. It doesn't help us to do the job, which is to solve issues, and there are real issues that have to be discussed.

Catharine Tunney (new window) · CBC News