A well-known U.S. political expert, Eric Ham, has claimed on CTV News that President Donald Trump is still planning on Canada joining the United States as the 51st state. This view sheds new light on the ongoing trade disputes and the President’s negotiation methods, suggesting his goals go much further than just fixing trade imbalances. The expert stresses that Trump genuinely believes everything he says, meaning his approach is not just a bargaining tactic to win concessions but a serious effort to bring Canada into the United States.
This bold idea, the expert says, keeps upsetting financial markets and worrying many of Trump’s supporters in the business world and corporate leaders. According to the expert, tariffs are a key part of the President’s plan to achieve this unusual goal. While tariffs are publicly described as a way to fix unfair trade between Canada and the United States, the expert believes the real goal is to put so much pressure on Canada that it might agree to something much bigger.
This is not just about a standard trade deal; it is about creating a situation where Canada could be forced to become part of the U.S. The expert says Trump is completely convinced this could happen, showing a major gap between the official reasons for trade actions and the deeper, more far-reaching political ambitions behind them.
Canada joining the US is still on the table for Trump
Additionally, the expert links this desire for Canada to a bigger, global competition. President Trump is said to be in a strategic race with China for control over important minerals. In this context, adding Canada, along with other places like Greenland, is seen as a key move to gain a major advantage in this race. The expert explains that for Trump, winning this battle over minerals is a huge goal, even bigger than the often chaotic trade talks with China.
While those discussions have been unpredictable and focused on material gains, the President is looking at a much larger, long-term political prize, with Canada playing a central role in that plan. At home, President Trump is also dealing with major challenges in passing laws, especially his massive “big beautiful bill.” This nearly 1,000-page proposal, which could have major effects on taxes and government spending, has run into serious problems.
The struggle to pass laws at home is made worse by disagreements within Trump’s own circle. A former close advisor to the President has publicly spoken out against this major bill, which could heavily influence whether it ever gets signed into law.
