President-elect Trump’s idea of making Canada the 51st U.S. state is a “huge opportunity,” says “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary. He called it a chance to do “something great” on the world stage.
“I think this is a great idea, and I think the potential is massive, and the opportunity is huge,” O’Leary said on “America’s Newsroom.” He added, “Canadians and Americans, their DNA is the same in terms of what they believe in… freedom.”
Trump posted on Truth Social about the idea on Wednesday. He mocked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “governor” and said Canada should join the U.S. He originally suggested this to Trudeau during a meeting at Mar-a-Lago after threatening to impose tariffs on Canadian goods.
Trump wrote, “If Canada was to become our 51st state, their taxes would be cut by more than 60%, their businesses would immediately double in size, and they would be militarily protected like no other country anywhere in the world.”
O’Leary believes many Canadians are curious about Trump’s idea. “More than half of them want to know more,” he said. “There are 41 million who want to understand what the proposal really is.”
He explained that the concept of an economic union has been discussed for years. “It makes sense because the resources Canada has, the U.S. needs. Particularly power and water,” he said.
O’Leary also pointed out that China’s rise to power might push the U.S. and Canada closer. “The Pentagon is worried about the northern border where China and the USSR are,” he said. “China was a nothing burger back then, and now they’re a serious problem.”
He concluded, highlighting the potential benefits of a union. “If you figured out a way to put these two countries together, it would be the most powerful country on Earth,” O’Leary said. “The most powerful military, the most powerful resources, and no adversary anywhere would mess with it.”