A look back at the “joke” that shocked Canada

The repercussions are still being felt over a supposed joke that may have amused the American representatives, but instead made the Canadian representatives present at the dinner between the future President of the United States and the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, uncomfortable.

Justin Trudeau had been invited to Mar-a-Lago by Donald Trump, but a few days earlier the latter had threatened Canada with 25% tariffs on all Canadian goods imported into the United States.

This threat was conditional on increased border security, particularly with regard to illegal immigration and drug trafficking, especially fentanyl.

At this meeting, the president-elect made a misplaced joke by suggesting that Canada could become the 51st state of the United States, claiming that, in his opinion, the country depends too much on its exports to the United States.

All the Americans sitting around the table would have laughed a lot and found the idea rather interesting, while on the Canadians’ side, the few laughs wouldn’t have been very enthusiastic.

However, the story gained momentum in some right-wing media, notably Fox News, which argued that annexing Canada would be beneficial for the United States, citing several reasons, including their neighbor’s oil reserves.

In Canada, the joke made during the three-hour dinner meeting also caused a stir.

Several Canadian officials say they’re not taking the joke seriously, while Trump fueled the situation further by sharing an AI-generated photo montage on his social network, showing him with a Canadian flag, looking at a mountain… Swiss!

Justin Trudeau met privately with the leaders of all the opposition parties.

He asked them to collaborate in the House’s approval of several upcoming measures to strengthen border security.

These measures include major expenditures, such as the purchase of drones, the dispatch of additional helicopters and police officers, and the deployment of additional resources.