President Trump is stirring the pot before a major hockey clash Thursday between the U.S. and Canada, using the occasion to revive his offer of making America’s northern neighbor the 51st state.
Mr. Trump said he planned to call the American team before it faced Canada in Boston in the championship game of the 4 Nations Face-Off, a mini-tournament that also featured Finland and Sweden.
The president, writing on Truth Social, said he would spur the U.S. “on towards victory tonight against Canada, which with FAR LOWER TAXES AND MUCH STRONGER SECURITY, will someday, maybe soon, become our cherished, and very important, Fifty First State.”
Mr. Trump said he wanted to attend the game but will be speaking to governors in Washington.
He said departing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is welcome to join the state leaders, again likening him to a governor.
“We will all be watching, and if Governor Trudeau would like to join us, he would be most welcome. Good luck to everybody, and have a GREAT game tonight. So exciting!” Mr. Trump wrote.
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The president opened his second term with an aggressive approach toward Canada, a critical trading partner.
Mr. Trump is threatening to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian and Mexican imports if those countries don’t crack down on illegal immigration and drug trafficking.
Both countries staved off the levies for one month by promising stiffer enforcement, though some felt the countries were promising actions that were largely in motion before Mr. Trump’s threat.
Mr. Trudeau recently announced he will step down as prime minister after a decade in power. Yet Mr. Trump continues to tease him, calling him a “governor” and urging Canada to become a state.
Canadian officials say they will never become a state.
Canadian fans booed the U.S. anthem during round-robin play on Saturday between the U.S. and Canada, a game that featured multiple early fights. The U.S. won, 3-1, but the teams’ records against the rest of the field resulted in a rematch in the final game.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.