There’s no question in my mind that Donald Trump wants Canada. He wants us to be his 51st state. But first, a little context as to why I believe this so assuredly.
I’ve had a love-hate relationship with politics since taking political studies at the University of Winnipeg. Back then, courses like comparative global politics, parliamentary versus presidential systems, and democracies versus dictatorships, were interesting to me. I couldn’t get enough.
At the same time, the world bore witness to political history in the making on November 9, 1989, when the Berlin Wall began to fall. It was dictatorship making way for democracy, in real-time. With lively discussion from within political studies classes.
I eventually quit paying attention to politics, though, and avoided it all for many years. I became apathetic, voting whichever way felt right. Sometimes not even voting at all.
Then ten years ago, I was drawn to US politics – because of Donald Trump. Full disclosure, I was a fan of The Apprentice, and seeing him in the president’s seat was like entertainment to me. And at first, it was entertaining. Until slowly over time, things began to change.
Now, a decade later, I’ve seen with my own eyes that the United States is shifting away from democracy – and into dictatorship. And it’s happening for the entire world to witness in real-life, and real-time.
Attack on America from within
The pillars of US democracy are being smashed with a sledgehammer from the inside out. Donald Trump is being abetted by the United States Congress, tech and media companies, billionaires, and bad judges – all of whom are turning a blind eye to the United States Constitution.
Trump’s regime is eliminating accountability, implementing control, and fostering corruption. They are reshaping the justice system to further their agenda, and seek retribution. For the first time in American history, those ‘checks and balances’ of US democracy are being fully tested. Media who challenge any of this are banned from press briefings.
Since Trump resumed power, the ‘Alien Enemies Act of 1798’ has been resurrected so ‘violent murderers’ can be rounded up and whisked away to super-jails. Others are being swept up and detained, too, without due process. Including immigrants, protesting students, and a gay hairdresser. Innocent people being ‘disappeared’ in broad daylight. Gone. Just like that.
Taking the country backwards
Rights are being rolled back from women, minorities, and the LGBTQ+ community. Laws against racial segregation are being reversed. Americans are being tazered and dragged out of community town-halls. Tourists are being detained, and travelers turned away. Social media is being searched at the border. Protections are being lifted from federals parks to make way for resource pillaging.
Funds are being threatened for colleges that don’t follow rules. Public education has been gutted. School programs and food subsidies for the neediest are eliminated. Federal employees are being let go in intimidating ways. Federal offices are closing down nationwide. Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are gone. Consumer protections gone. Foreign humanitarian aid gone. Human decency gone.
Trump is leading the charge for the reunification of church and state. Christianity is being mandated in schools. Books are being banned. To top it off, criminals and ring leaders who violently stormed the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021 – whom Trump proudly calls ‘patriots’ and ‘political prisoners’ – have been freed from jails.
Not a dress rehearsal
Does this all sound like some wild dystopian TV plot? Well, it’s not. And it’s unfolding right next to us on the North American continent. It’s not a dress rehearsal, where we will get to have a do-over. Because we won’t. This is real-life.
TV’s Donald Trump is poised to become a dictator. He is openly defying the Constitution he swore an oath to, and ignoring their Supreme Court. His transitional team’s ‘Project 2025’ plan – modeled after the playbooks of Hitler and Putin (both of whom are leaders he has openly admired) – is in full swing.
But a dictator is never content to only ruin their country. They thrive on ego and power, with an insatiable drive to conquer others. That is why since November, Trump’s words and actions have grown increasingly threatening towards Panama, as well as Greenland, and Canada. That’s right. Donald Trump wants Canada.
He has said many times that he wants our country. That we need the United States, and should just become the ‘51st State’. He has publicly stated his plan to weaken us economically. He has refused to rule out military force if economic pressure doesn’t work. And now his regime is repeating the same things. Known traitors to Canada like Danielle Smith and Kevin O’Leary – both right-wing conservatives – are also fueling the fire.
This is not rhetoric, or ‘fear-mongering’ as some suggest. It’s deadly serious. Trump wants our country. He wants our land, minerals, lumber, water, and access to our strongly-regulated banks (which he complains about A LOT). His threats have nothing to do with fentanyl, vicious immigrants, or whatever reasons he gives. Those are just smokescreens.
Most important election issue
When people say our election is not about Donald Trump, they are wrong. The world has shifted dramatically in just three months – and Canadians need to wake up to what is happening. To understand that Donald Trump wants Canada to be the 51st state. To take a good hard look at two starkly different leadership choices to defend us from these threats.
One, is a life-long economist who knows how to navigate economies during times of crisis. Who stands on a platform for uniting Canada, with the intellect, maturity, respect, vision, experience, diplomacy, and connections to make things happen. He acknowledges that Canada’s former relationship with the United States is over, and has begun forging new opportunities and partnerships for Canada.
The other, has had no job in his life besides ‘politician’. And yet, during two decades in the House of Commons, has not passed even one bill to help Canadians. And has continuously voted against bills to help Canadians. He has stated that if elected, he will ‘negotiate hard’ to make new deals with Trump. Even though we can all see that Trump doesn’t respect deals. That his agreement – and his word – aren’t worth anything.
Trump wants Poilievre in power
Despite Trump and Poilievre’s simultaneous attempt at reverse psychology a few weeks ago, Trump really wants Poilievre to be Canada’s Prime Minister. People like Elon Musk, Tucker Carlson, Matt Gaetz, Alex Jones, Ben Shapiro, Joe Rogan, and other shining MAGA elite, have endorsed him.
Trump himself endorsed Poilievre on January 6, 2025, when asked on the Hugh Hewitt radio show if he was looking forward to working with him as Canada’s next possible Prime Minister: “I am, I am. If that’s what happens. Certainly, it will be very good. Our views would be more aligned, certainly,” said Trump.
Poilievre has been showing his loyalty back to Trump. His election policies and promises blatantly mirror what is happening in the United States. For example, Poilievre has vowed to get rid of ‘anti-woke ideology’. He wants to cut off university research funding for campuses that don’t abide by his rules. Wants to crack down on ‘illegal immigrants’ and eliminate ‘birthright citizenship’. Fear-mongering about ‘vicious violent criminals’ roaming our streets.
Erosion of democracy
Poilievre is just like Trump. He is fueling doubt and eroding faith in our democratic institutions. He wants to eliminate government regulations. Wants to declare a ‘national energy emergency’ so he can force pipelines through. Is against ‘diversity, equity and inclusion’ and humanitarian aid.
He disregards Indigenous rights and has shown disdain for residential school survivors. He is against LGBTQ+ rights, publicly affirming there are only two genders. Police remove citizens from his rallies for wearing shirts that don’t align with his ideology. While also holding all the ‘MAGA’ merchandise at the door.
He is using religion to further his base. Threatening to cut off funding to regions of Canada that oppose him. Wants to get rid of publicly-funded media, while gagging any media who challenge him. Takes a very limited amount of pre-approved questions on the campaign trail, and doesn’t even answer those when asked. No follow-ups allowed, either. All he does is repeat back slogans and attacks on his primary opponent.
On the lighter side, he wants to bring back plastic straws. He brags about crowd size, loves bitcoin, and makes up childish nicknames for opponents. He uses words like ‘defund’, ‘patriot’, ‘radical lunatics’, and of course ‘woke’ which is one of his new faves.
If you forgot who I was talking about in those last two paragraphs, I wouldn’t blame you. That’s all part of Pierre Poilievre’s campaign. Showing again, and again, and yet again, that he gets his ideas and talking points from Donald Trump. Even his ‘Canada First’ slogan mirrors ‘America First’. Which mirrors ‘Germany First’.
The choice is crystal clear
Is all of this coincidence? Come on. Anyone who has been paying attention to both American and Canadian politics can see that Pierre Poilievre supports the same right-wing ideology that is currently overtaking America. And can also see that many Americans who ‘accidentally’ voted for dictatorship because they didn’t think it would really happen are now regretting it. Big time.
Donald Trump wants Canada – and Canadians have one chance to avoid the same fate as is happening there. Chaining our country to one that is rolling back rights, education, innovation, progress, support for vulnerable people, and basic human decency, is not a good idea. Especially one that has repeatedly shown aggression towards us, has declared they want our resources, and stated they will weaken us economically.
We’re entering battle with our once-closest ally, and need a strong strategic leader to help navigate the stormy waters ahead. Canadians willing to put old-school partisan-politics aside at this critical juncture, and take an honest look at what is happening in America, will see only one choice.
If we choose the life-long economist like Mark Carney, we at least have a shot at standing up to Donald Trump during what will be an unprecedented time of economic warfare.
If we chose the lifer politician like Pierre Poilievre, we don’t stand a chance.
