Trump's 51st State Push Roils Canadian Election

On the day of Canada's federal election, U.S. President Donald Trump urged Canadians to support making Canada the 51st U.S. state, promoting economic growth, military expansion, and the removal of trade barriers as potential benefits. Trump made these comments on Truth Social, arguing that the U.S. could no longer subsidize Canada without statehood and describing the proposal as 'all positives with no negatives.' Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre quickly rebuked Trump and defended Canadian sovereignty, emphasizing that U.S. interference is unacceptable. Trump's repeated rhetoric, along with his trade policies and tariff threats, has narrowed the Conservative Party's lead and turned the election into a referendum on Canadian identity and Poilievre's perceived similarities to Trump. Liberal leader Mark Carney is now favored as the race grows more competitive. Polls show that most Canadians strongly oppose the idea of joining the U.S., fueling the election's focus on national independence.