WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� President said he is serious about wanting Canada to become the 51st state in an interview that aired Sunday during the Super Bowl preshow.
鈥淵eah it is,鈥� Trump told Fox News Channel鈥檚 when asked whether his talk of annexing Canada is 鈥渁 real thing" 鈥� as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau .
鈥淚 think Canada would be much better off being the 51st state because we lose $200 billion a year with Canada. And I鈥檓 not going to let that happen," he said. "Why are we paying $200 billion a year, essentially a subsidy to Canada?鈥�
The U.S. is not subsidizing Canada. The U.S. buys products from the natural resource-rich nation, including commodities like oil. While the trade gap in goods has ballooned in recent years to $72 billion in 2023, the deficit largely reflects America鈥檚 imports of Canadian energy.
Trump has repeatedly that Canada would be better off if it agreed to become the 51st U.S. state 鈥� a prospect that is deeply unpopular among Canadians.
Trudeau said Friday that Trump鈥檚 talk of making was 鈥渁 real thing" and tied to desire for access to the country鈥檚 natural resources.
鈥淢r. Trump has it in mind that the easiest way to do it is absorbing our country and it is a real thing. In my conversations with him on ...,鈥� Trudeau said, according to CBC, Canada's public broadcaster. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e very aware of our resources of what we have, and they very much want to be able to benefit from those."
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday as he traveled to the Super Bowl game in New Orleans, Trump continued to threaten a country that has long been one of the U.S.'s closest allies. He claimed that Canada is "not viable as a country鈥� without U.S. trade, and warned that the founding NATO member can no longer depend on the U.S. for military protection.
鈥淵ou know, they don鈥檛 pay very much for military. And the reason they don鈥檛 pay much is they assume that we鈥檙e going to protect them," he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not an assumption they can make because 鈥� why are we protecting another country?"
In the Fox interview, which was pre-taped this weekend in Florida, Trump also said that he has not seen enough action from Canada and Mexico to stave off the tariffs he has threatened to impose on the country's two largest once a 30-day extension is up.
鈥淣o, it鈥檚 not good enough,鈥� he said. 鈥淪omething has to happen. It鈥檚 not sustainable. And I鈥檓 changing it.鈥�
Trump last week on his plan to slap Mexico and Canada with a 25% tariff on all imports except for Canadian oil, natural gas and electricity, which would be taxed at 10%, after the countries took steps to appease his concerns about border security and drug trafficking.
Aboard Air Force One, Trump said that he would on Monday announce a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports into the U.S., including from Canada and Mexico, and unveil a plan for reciprocal tariffs later in the week.
鈥淰ery simply it鈥檚 if they charge us, we charge them,鈥� he said.
Trump鈥檚 participation in the Super Bowl interview marked a return to tradition. Presidents have typically granted a sit-down to the network broadcasting the game, the most-watched television event of the year. But both Trump and his predecessor, , were inconsistent in their participation.
Biden declined to participate last year 鈥� turning down a massive audience in an election year 鈥� and also skipped an appearance in 2023, when efforts by his team to have Biden speak with a Fox Corp. streaming service instead of the main network failed. During his first term, Trump participated three out of four years.
Trump was 鈥� something he told Baier he was surprised to learn.
鈥淚 thought it would be a good thing for the country to have the president at the game,鈥� he said.
During his flight to New Orleans, Trump signed a proclamation declaring Feb. 9 鈥渢he first ever Gulf of America Day" as Air Force One flew over the body of water that he renamed by proclamation from the Gulf of Mexico.
Trump in the interview, also defended the work of billionaire , whose so-called , or DOGE, has been drawing deep concern from Democrats as he moves to shut down whole government agencies and fire large swaths of the federal workforce in the name of rooting out waste and inefficiency.
Musk, Trump said, has 鈥渂een terrific," and will target the Department of Education and the military next.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to find billions, hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud and abuse,鈥� Trump predicted. 鈥淚 campaigned on this."
He was also asked about his dancing, which has become a popular meme on social media.
鈥淚 don't know what it is," he said. 鈥淚 try and walk off sometimes without dancing and I can鈥檛. I have to dance.鈥�
___ Associated Press writer Darlene Superville aboard Air Force One contributed to this report.
Jill Colvin, The Associated Press
