Trump squabbles with Canada's PM over annexation threat: "Never Say Never!"
Washington DC - President Donald Trump recently met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and couldn't resist bringing up his aggressive effort to see the country become America's 51st state.
The two leaders met in the Oval Office on Monday, during which Trump insisted that handing Canada over to the US would result in a "wonderful marriage" that would bring "tremendous" benefits for Canadian citizens.
"As a real estate developer – you know, I'm a real estate developer at heart – when you get rid of that artificially drawn line... when you look at that beautiful formation when it's together - I'm a very artistic person - when I looked at it, I said, 'that's the way it was meant to be,'" Trump ranted.
After waiting patiently for an opening, Carney jumped in to politely turn down the idea.
"As you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale. We're sitting in one right now," Carney explained.
"And having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign the last several months, it's not for sale, it won't be for sale, ever," he added sternly. "But the opportunity is in the partnership and what we can build together."
Trump then went on to praise Canada for "stepping up" their military operations, but refused to accept Carney's opposition to his plan.
"But I say, 'never say never,'" the president stated.
President Donald Trump refuses to give up on the idea of taking Canada
Trump first randomly touted the idea in January following the resignation of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He has repeated it countless times, despite the fact that Trudeau, Carney, and the majority of Canadian citizens have fiercely opposed the idea.
The president has also expressed interest in taking back the Panama Canal, and seizing control of Greenland from Denmark, which formally owns the country.
When asked in a recent interview if he would use military force to achieve his goals, he said it won't "get to that point" with Canada, but cryptically added "something could happen with Greenland."
Cover photo: JIM WATSON / AFP