Canadian politician and a former ally of PM Justin Trudeau, Jagmeet Singh, on Sunday, sent a strong message to US president-elect Donald Trump and said his nation is not for sale. Singh was referring to the US President-elect’s intention of merging the two neighbouring nations.
Sharing a video message on X, Singh said: “I have a message for Donald Trump. Our country is not for sale. Not now, not ever.”
The New Democratic Party (NDP) leader said the Canadians are proud people who are ready to fight and defend their nation.
Singh mentioned Canada’s support to the US in fighting the ongoing wildfires that have ravaged Los Angeles and even killed 24 people.
“Right now, with the forest fires ravaging homes, Canadian firefighters showed up. That is who we are,” Singh said.
He vowed retaliation if Donald Trump imposes tariffs on Canada.
“I have committed that if Donald Trump imposes tariffs on us, we should respond with retaliatory tariffs in kind,” Singh said.
“I think that anyone running as Prime Minister should do the same,” he said just days before Trump’s inauguration as the new US President is scheduled to take place on January 20.
Last Tuesday, Trump said he could use “economic force” to turn Canada into the 51st American state.
“You get rid of that artificially drawn line and you take a look at what that looks like — and it would also be much better for national security,” Trump, who registered a thumping victory in the US polls in November, was quoted as saying by CNN while addressing a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
He also shared a distorted map of Canada on Truth Social which showed it as a part of the USA.
Sharing the map, he wrote: “Oh Canada!”
Justin Trudeau dismisses Trump’s suggestion
Meanwhile, Canada’s outgoing prime minister Justin Trudeau dismissed Trump’s suggestion and wrote on X: “There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States.”
“Workers and communities in both our countries benefit from being each other’s biggest trading and security partner,” Trudeau, who resigned as the leader of his Liberal Party of Canada amid rising dissent against him, wrote.
Trump has already threatened to impose 25 percent tariff on imports from Canada.
Trump had earlier mocked Trudeau, calling him the Governor of Canada.
Political turmoil in Canada
Facing rising dissent against him, Justin Trudeau last week resigned as the leader of his Liberal Party of Canada which will effectively end his nine-year-long tenure as the country’s prime minister.
He will continue as Canada’s prime minister until the party picks his successor in March.
