There is no for sale sign at the entrance to Canada. Not now, not ever.
That was the message from Mark Carney, Canada’s newly elected prime minister, on Tuesday in the Oval Office.
Carney met with President Donald Trump and a reporter brought up Trump’s desire to make Canada the 51st state.
“I still believe that,” Trump said. “But you know, takes two to tango, right? … I believe it would be a massive tax cut for the Canadian citizens. You get free military, you get tremendous medical care, and other things. There would be a lot of advantages, but it would be a massive tax cut.”
Trump explained he is looking at the deal like a real estate developer.
“As a real estate developer — you know, I’m a real estate developer at heart — when you get rid of that artificially drawn line, somebody drew that line many years ago with like a ruler, just a straight line right across the top of the country, when you look at that beautiful formation when it’s together… I’m a very artistic person. But when I looked at that beauty, I said that’s the way it was meant to be.”
Carney shot down Trump’s plan.
“As you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale,” Carney said. “That’s true,” Trump responded.
“We’re sitting in one right now. Buckingham Palace, that you visited as well… And having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign, last several months, it’s not for sale. It won’t be for sale ever,” Carney added.
