Canada should not overreact to US President-elect Donald Trump’s comments about annexing Canada but should still take them seriously, several federal cabinet ministers said on Wednesday.
Ministers were in Ottawa to meet with the Liberal caucus as it prepares for a leadership race to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, but many of them remain keenly focused on Trump’s growing musings about making Canada the 51st state. and his constant threat to impose tariffs on Canada. as soon as he takes office.
Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly says Canada should not take Trump’s “bait,” but it should also not back down from its efforts to counter the threats he is making.
“When President-elect Trump speaks, we must listen to him and we must take him very seriously. I never take his threats lightly, but at the same time we cannot take the bait,” Joly said.
Joly is one of the Liberal ministers considering a run for party leadership. She says that as she considers whether to take office, she is weighing her responsibilities as foreign secretary and the need to confront Trump’s threats.
Trump continued his taunts on Wednesday by posting a map of Canada and the United States, with the American flag superimposed over both countries. Trump captioned it: “Oh, Canada.”
Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc on Wednesday ruled himself out of the party leadership race, saying responding to the 25 percent tariff threat requires his full attention.
“I will focus solely on the real economic threat that US tariffs pose to the Canadian economy and to Canadian workers. It’s a full-time job and I’m lucky to have it,” LeBlanc said.
LeBlanc attended a dinner with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in November, as part of the Trudeau government’s initial efforts to head off the tariff threat. After that dinner, LeBlanc dismissed Trump’s joke about annexing Canada as a joke.
That’s not how the government sees it now. International Trade Minister Mary Ng said Wednesday that Trump is “not” joking about the United States somehow absorbing Canada.
“It is not and we are taking it seriously and we will respond seriously,” he said. “But I’ve done a lot of work meeting with Canadian companies, American companies and American policymakers, and they understand the importance of this relationship.”
Immigration Minister Marc Miller repeated an earlier comment comparing Trump’s rhetoric to an episode of the animated comedy South Park. He said he will only start to worry if Trump appoints Eric Cartman, a foul-mouthed 10-year-old from the show, as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“It’s nonsense, it’s inappropriate for a president to say that, but we have to take it seriously and we will continue to do so,” he said.
Miller is not seeking liberal leadership. He praised LeBlanc’s decision to sit out the race, saying he is putting the country first.
“(LeBlanc’s) decision to remain is intellectually sound, it is important to maintain stability in the country at a time when thousands of jobs could be at risk if Mr. Trump goes ahead with the imposition of tariffs. That will be our approach number one,” Miller said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will meet with premiers next Wednesday to discuss the looming tariff threat, just days before Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is presenting the incoming Trump administration with a new approach to energy exports. He said Wednesday he wants to see the province’s grid expanded to allow more power to be sent to the U.S.
Ford appears to be positioning himself as the country’s protector in the face of what he called a “lack of leadership” in Ottawa in response to the tariff threat.
In a post on X, Quebec Premier François Legault said Trump’s comments about Canada’s annexation “must be taken seriously.”
“It is clearly not about Canada becoming the 51st state of the United States, but Mr. Trump will take advantage of every opportunity at his disposal to increase his balance of power,” Legault wrote in French. “All the more reason to keep a cool head and refuse to play into the hands of the president-elect.”
He said his responsibility is to protect Quebec’s economy from “the threat of tariffs that could cause significant harm.”
“We would certainly like to have less uncertainty in the federal government right now,” he added. “However, Quebec and the rest of Canada do not lack the means to act.”
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey said Wednesday that Trump has a history of making comments that start as jokes but become policy.
“This is a strong and sovereign country, and it will always be a strong and sovereign country,” Furey said. “That, unfortunately, our best friend… threatens our sovereignty is completely unacceptable.”
Two former U.S. ambassadors to Canada also weighed in on how Canada should respond to the threat of annexation.
Gordon Giffin, who served under former US President Bill Clinton, said Trump has “gone too far.”
“Unfortunately, the president-elect has fallen in love with this line and is almost subconsciously returning to it,” he said.
Giffin said Canada should be calm and firm in its response.
“I think Canada and Canadian leaders should be dismissive of it,” he said. “I wouldn’t frown or be offended. “It would just be dismissive.”
Bruce Heyman served as US ambassador to Canada under President Barack Obama from 2014 to 2017. He also called on Canadian officials to remain calm.
“I don’t think everyone should overreact to this right now,” Heyman said. “Don’t overreact at every press conference and look at the opportunity ahead of you and work diplomatically.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 8, 2025.
With files from Sarah Smellie in St. John’s and Morgan Lowrie in Montreal
