Canada To Become 51st State

President Donald Trump unveiled his latest pitch to Canada in a Truth Social post, offering the country a stark choice: pay $61 billion to participate in the United States’ new Golden Dome missile defense system as a sovereign nation or pay nothing at all if it joins the U.S. as the 51st state. “I told Canada, which very much wants to be part of our fabulous Golden Dome System, that it will cost $61 Billion Dollars if they remain a separate, but unequal, Nation, but will cost ZERO DOLLARS if they become our cherished 51st State,” Trump wrote. “They are considering the offer!” he added.

The post comes just days after Trump officially rolled out the Golden Dome initiative, a sweeping $175 billion missile defense program that would mark the first deployment of American weapons in space. From the Oval Office, Trump told reporters he expects the system to be “fully operational before the end of my term,” which concludes in 2029. He claimed the defense shield would be capable of intercepting missiles “even if they are launched from space.”

While the Trump administration has requested $25 billion in initial funding for the program, the Congressional Budget Office warned earlier this month that the total cost could reach as high as $542 billion over the next two decades. Despite the steep price tag, Trump has praised the plan as a transformative leap in national defense, comparing it to the Cold War-era Strategic Defense Initiative, or “Star Wars,” but “much bigger and much better.”

Trump’s unexpected offer to Canada has added another layer of geopolitical drama, coming just weeks after King Charles addressed Canada’s parliament in a historic speech reaffirming the nation’s sovereignty. Declaring Canada “strong and free,” the monarch invoked the national anthem and warned of unprecedented global challenges. “We must face reality. Since the Second World War, our world has never been more dangerous and unstable,” the King said in French. “Many Canadians are feeling anxious and worried about the drastically changing world around them.”

The King’s visit followed a tense first meeting between Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Trump at the White House, where Carney reportedly pushed back against Trump’s pressure. At one point in the Oval Office, Carney reminded the president, “Canada is not for sale.” Trump, smirking, replied, “Time will tell.”

Trump had set the tone for the meeting earlier that day on social media, writing that the U.S. didn’t need “ANYTHING” from Canada a sentiment he repeated during their face-to-face exchange. The offer to absorb Canada as a U.S. state has sparked widespread reaction, with critics viewing it as a provocative and unserious gesture, while some Trump loyalists are already celebrating it as a bold power move.

With tensions rising and questions swirling about the feasibility and intent behind Trump’s offer, Canada’s government has not yet issued a formal response. However, the timing coming so soon after the King’s speech and amid rising global instability suggests the issue may not go away quietly.