15.36C Vancouver 15.36C VancouverJun 2, 2026 4:57 PM - Connect Newsroom - Ramandeep Kaur with files from The Canadian Press
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is pushing back against renewed comments from U.S. President Donald Trump, who once again referred to Canada as the “51st state” in a social media post Tuesday.
In a post on X, Ford said Canada “will never be the 51st state” and is “not for sale.” His comments came after Trump shared a Bloomberg report about Canada's economy and described the country as the “51st State.”
The post was later reshared by U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra, drawing further attention to Trump's remarks.
According to the social media posts, Trump’s references to Canada as a potential 51st state date back to December 2024. While the comments were initially viewed by some observers as political rhetoric, they have continued amid ongoing trade tensions between Canada and the United States.
Ford also used the exchange to highlight Ontario's economic performance, claiming the province created 680 per cent more jobs than the United States after adjusting April employment figures for inflation.
