U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has been brandishing threats about turning Canada into the 51st state — something Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says is a diversion tactic to distract from the very real threat of a proposed 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods.
Trump's comments have certainly caught the attention of the figureheads of one of America's more venerated institutions: late-night talk shows. Here's what the hosts had to say about it earlier this week:
LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS:
"Trump's also been making a bunch of unhinged claims about absorbing Canada as the 51st state and even made a suggestion about who their next prime minister should be," Meyers joked on Tuesday, after the president-elect also suggested hockey legend Wayne Gretzky should lead Canada.
"I mean, I think Trump picked Wayne Gretzky because that's the only Canadian he knows. I also think the prime minister of Ireland should be the Lucky Charms mascot."
JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE:
"For whatever reason, Trump loves — he enjoys terrorizing our allies. Putin? Good guy. Canada?," Kimmel scoffed Tuesday, with a mocking shrug.
"He's like Darth Vader. Come to the dark side, or else. Trump today suggested he'll consider using economic force to get Canada to become part of the United States, and if that doesn't get him the Nobel Prize I don't know what is gonna."
THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON:
"President-elect Trump wants the United States and Canada to merge. Right now everyone who moved to Canada after Trump won is like 'Well, I guess it's off to the North Pole. I mean, what do we do? Where do I gotta go? What do we do?,"' Fallon joked Tuesday.
"I don't know, if you think America is divided now, imagine if half the country spelled colour with a 'U,'" he continued.
"Yep, Trump wants to merge with Canada. I feel like we're close to him offering a throuple with Mexico."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 10, 2025.
The Canadian Press
