Bernie Sanders backs Trump to make Canada the 51st state, with one caveat

Senator Bernie Sanders indicated that he would not oppose Donald Trump’s push to make Canada the 51st US state, but that he would have some requirements to support the president-elect if he were to pursue this move. The progressive independent senator joined X on Tuesday where he discussed the idea after it was first reported by Fox News.

“Trump has suggested that Canada become the 51st state in our union,” Sanders wrote. “Does this mean we can take over Canada’s health care system and guarantee health care for all, reduce the cost of prescription drugs and spend 50% less per capita on health care?” he continued. “I’m all for it,” he concluded.

The speech about Canada joining the US emerged on Monday evening when it was reported that Trump had presented it to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during their meeting at Mar-a-Lago on Friday. Trudeau rushed to Florida to meet Trump in person for the first time since the November election, after the newly elected president threatened to impose 25 percent tariffs on Canada.

Trump claimed he would impose tariffs on all products imported from the neighboring country until illegal immigration and drugs coming across the border stopped. During their meeting, Trudeau reportedly told Trump that 25 percent tariffs on Canada would kill his country’s economy.

Then Trump told the prime minister that if the country cannot survive the US deposition, Canada could become the 51st state. According to Fox’s sources, Trudeau and others at the table responded to his comment with nervous laughter.

As Sanders noted, Canada is known as a more liberal country than the US, with a universal healthcare system funded through taxes. Any Canadian citizen or permanent resident can apply for public health insurance. Some Americans even cross the border from the US to obtain necessary prescription drugs, as the country has much more affordable options because the government there regulates drug prices.

Sanders himself has often pointed out how much cheaper medical care and drug prices are in Canada, and he is an outspoken supporter of universal, government-sponsored healthcare in the US with Medicare for All. Trump suggested during their conversation that if he did not stop people from entering the US through the northern border, Canada could divide into two states: one conservative and one liberal, according to Fox’s sources.

Trump has taken a tough approach on immigration, threatening 25 percent tariffs on both Mexico and Canada on the first day of his administration if his demands are not met. Experts warn that such tariffs on the country’s two largest trading partners could have devastating economic consequences on both sides of the border, leaving consumers facing higher costs.

One of the largest imports from Canada to the US is crude oil and related products. It also imports cars and car parts, machinery and more. More than 75 percent of the products Canada exports go to the US. But Trump wasn’t done trolling Canada before he came to power. On Tuesday, he posted on Truth Social a computer-generated image of him next to a Canadian flag, looking out over the mountains. His caption was simply “oh Canada!”

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