OTTAWA—There is not a “snowball’s chance in hell” that Canada will merge with the United States, outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila), while his foreign minister added the country will “never back down” from threats by Donald Trump.
The comments from Trudeau and Foreign Minister Melanie Joly followed the US President-elect’s statement at a news conference about using “economic force” in pursuit of his unlikely plan for Canada to merge with the United States.
“There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States,” Trudeau reacted on X, while also highlighting close bilateral security and trade ties.
Joly, meanwhile, accused Trump of showing with his remarks “a complete lack of understanding” of Canada.
“Our economy is strong. Our people our strong. We will never back down in the face of threats,” she said on the social media platform owned by Trump ally Elon Musk.
