Trump had suggested repeatedly, both in posts on his social media platform Truth Social and in remarks to reporters, that Canada could become a US state instead to avoid the tariffs. He has also referred to the country's prime minister as "Governor Trudeau".

The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, expressed concerns about the potential annexation of Canada by the United States. During the Canada-U.S. economic summit in Toronto, Trudeau mentioned that Donald Trump strongly desires to annex Canada into the USA.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a business gathering on Friday that US President Donald Trump’s threat to annex Canada “is a real thing,” two Canadian business leaders who were at the meeting confirmed to CNN.