US President-elect Donald Trump has suggested that Mexico and Canada become US states if they want substantial subsidies from Washington to continue flowing.
The incoming US leader made the remarks to NBC News in his first Sunday talk show appearance since winning the presidential election in November.
Last month, Trump pledged to impose a 25% tariff on all goods from Mexico and Canada unless they stop the flow of migrants and drugs to the US. He defended his stance on tariffs to NBC News ‘Meet the Press’, saying that the US subsidizes Mexico by almost $300 billion annually, while Canada gets around $100 billion per year.
“We’re subsidizing Canada to the tune over $100 billion a year. We’re subsidizing Mexico for almost $300 billion. We shouldn’t be – why are we subsidizing these countries? If we’re going to subsidize them, let them become a state,” Trump said.
Earlier this month, Trump made a similar remark during a meeting with the Canadian prime minister at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Justin Trudeau reportedly complained at the time that the Canadian economy would not survive the punishing tariffs the American president-elect has threatened.
Trump was said to have replied with a tongue-in-cheek suggestion that Canada could avoid this by becoming the 51st US state, with Trudeau as governor. He later expounded on the idea, saying that Canada could even be divided into two states, one conservative and one liberal.
When asked by NBC News if tariffs were negotiating tactics, Trump shared his interactions with Canadian and Mexican leaders at Mar-a-Lago. He reiterated that he would levy sweeping duties on both in order to force a crackdown on illegal immigration and the flow of fentanyl to the US.
At the same time, the president-elect highlighted the benefits and strategic importance of such duties and said they could be effective in generating revenue for the economy. He added however, that tariffs should not be implemented recklessly.