Title: Trump Revives '51st State' Comments About Canada

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump reignited his "51st state" comments regarding Canada during a speech to military leaders on Tuesday. The address took place at Quantico, Virginia, where top military officials were unexpectedly gathered to discuss the administration's missile defense initiatives, specifically the "Golden Dome" system.

In his remarks, Trump claimed that Canada had reached out to him a few weeks prior, expressing interest in joining the missile defense program. He stated, "Canada called me a couple of weeks ago. They want to be part of it. To which I said, well, why don't you just join our country? Become 51, become the 51st state and you get it for free."

The president also suggested that Canada is facing economic challenges due to tariffs, which he argued are redirecting business to the United States. He emphasized that his trade policies are shifting significant investments from Canada to the U.S., stating, "Canada is having a hard time."

These comments come after a period of relative silence on the topic. Earlier this year, Trump had used similar rhetoric but had since stepped back following the election of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Carney has maintained a low profile regarding discussions with Trump, with no details released about their conversations.

In contrast to Trump's remarks, U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra recently indicated that the "51st state" dialogue is no longer relevant. He noted, "That came out of a time when there was a certain kind of relationship between the president and a prime minister. You guys can talk about it. I'm not. I'm focused on delivering results."

Hoekstra added that he has not received any direction to continue discussions about Canada becoming the 51st state, emphasizing that such rhetoric has not been part of the conversation for months. Trump's comments, however, suggest a revival of this controversial topic, raising questions about the future of U.S.-Canada relations.