Trump's 51st state comments can be taken as 'term of endearment': U.S. ambassador

Racy Rafique · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 30, 2025 5:50 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra says President Donald Trump's renewed 51st authorities rhetoric tin beryllium taken arsenic a compliment, suggesting that's however it's seen by Prime Minister Mark Carney.

In an interrogation with CBC's Power & Politics, Hoekstra suggested Carney saw the comments arsenic a "term of endearment," portion clarifying Canada's leader "didn't precisely usage this word."

When asked whether Canadians should besides spot the 51st authorities speech arsenic a word of endearment, Hoekstra said "they tin spot it nevertheless they want."

In an interrogation with Fox News implicit the weekend, Trump repeated his content that Canada should beryllium a U.S. state.

"Canada relies wholly connected the United States, we don't trust connected Canada," helium said.

Trump's ambassador successful Ottawa says those comments should beryllium taken with information to however the 2 leaders person been getting on since Carney became premier minister.

"President Trump doesn't invitation radical onto his squad who helium doesn't like, who helium doesn't trust, who helium doesn't respect. You cognize helium wants a beardown team," said Hoesktra successful an interrogation with impermanent big Catherine Cullen a time earlier Canada Day.

WATCH | Hoesktra connected Carney and Trump's relationship: 

The rhetoric resurfaced this play arsenic the U.S. concisely ended each commercialized discussions with Canada implicit the integer services taxation (DST), which would person seen U.S. companies similar Amazon, Google, Meta, Uber and Airbnb wage 3 per cent connected revenues from Canadian users.

The policy, with taxation postulation acceptable to statesman Monday, would person applied retroactively, leaving U.S. companies with a $2-billion US bill.

Canada promptly rescinded the DST connected Sunday evening, which paved the mode for Canada and the U.S. to resume commercialized negotiations Monday morning. Carney told reporters that the 2 countries are keeping the antecedently agreed-upon July 21 deadline in caput during the commercialized talks.

U.S. property caput Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Canada had "caved" to Trump successful rescinding the tax. 

WATCH | White House property caput says Canada 'caved': 

Hoekstra told Power & Politics that "caving" isn't however he'd picture it, but that Canada knew the DST was a "red line" for the U.S.

The taxation caused Canada to "move from the beforehand of the enactment to the backmost of the line" successful Trump's negotiations with countries. Canada is present "back astatine the beforehand of the line," helium said.

The way forward

With the DST eliminated, Trump has different longstanding objections that could become barriers to progress. 

Trump repeated his complaints astir Canada's steep tariffs on egg, dairy and poultry imports implicit the weekend, which helium says disadvantages American farmers. Many of the tariff rates helium often quotes are rarely, if ever, applied.

Right earlier breaking for the summer, Parliament passed Bill C-202, which volition hamstring the authorities from making concessions that impact cultivation proviso absorption during commercialized negotiations. 

Hoekstra said he doesn't spot C-202 arsenic a roadblock to a deal. 

He said helium has a "strong belief" that "the premier curate astir apt could find a mode to get Parliament to bash [his] will, conscionable similar the president today" to get a woody made. 

"Prime ministers and presidents, they've got a tremendous magnitude of power."