Prime Minister Mark Carney says Ottawa has no plans to expel the U.S. ambassador to Canada, even after the envoy amplified President Donald Trump’s latest jab calling Canada the “51st state.”
The comment landed Monday, when Trump posted on his Truth Social account while sharing a news article about Canada slipping into a technical recession, a nod to the latest GDP figures from Statistics Canada. The next day, U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra shared a screenshot of that post on his official X account.
Asked at a press conference in Longueuil, Que., on Tuesday whether it was time to send Hoekstra packing, Carney didn’t hesitate.
The short answer is no, to the second part of your question.
His reasoning came down to the sheer weight of the relationship between the two countries.
It’s an administration that we have to work with. It’s our biggest trading relationship, our biggest security relationship, many other relationships, and we work with that administration. We take the administration as it is.
The “51st state” line that won’t go away
Trump’s framing of Canada as a potential 51st state has become a recurring irritant, and plenty of Canadians have read it as a shot at the country’s sovereignty. The reaction has run from eye-rolls to genuine anger.
Hoekstra, for his part, has brushed off the concern more than once. He has said he doesn’t understand why Canadians are upset by the remarks, and has urged people to focus instead on where the two countries cooperate and how the relationship could improve.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy was matter-of-fact about why the ambassador keeps amplifying the president’s posts, saying that doing so “is our usual practice.”
The recession backdrop
The timing matters. Trump’s post wasn’t random. He shared it alongside an article noting that Canada had fallen into a technical recession, based on the most recent GDP data from Statistics Canada. That economic backdrop is part of why the needling stings, and part of why the opposition is so eager to steer the conversation toward household budgets rather than diplomatic tit-for-tat.
Poilievre calls it “ridiculous”
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre didn’t dwell on the 51st-state talk for long. He called the comment “ridiculous, and it’s never going to happen,” then pivoted to his preferred ground: the cost of living.
We have to make sure that we don’t allow ridiculous comments like that to distract us from the very real suffering that Canadians are experiencing as a result of Liberal policies here at home, the families who can’t afford food, the one in four Canadians who are living in food insecurity.
“They don’t want us to be distracted by a foolish comment like that,” he added. “They want us to focus on reversing the Liberal policies that have made them hungry in the first place.”
A petition is gathering steam
Carney’s restraint puts him at odds with a slice of the public that wants a firmer response. A House of Commons petition calling on Ottawa to consider expelling Hoekstra, arguing his actions and statements “have been inconsistent with the standards of conduct expected of a diplomatic representative to Canada,” has gathered roughly 14,600 signatures.
What it means for Canadians
Strip away the noise and Carney’s message is a pragmatic one. Canada’s economic and security ties to the United States are too important, in his telling, to rupture over a social-media post. The U.S. is Canada’s largest trading partner and closest security partner, and the government is signalling it will keep working with the current administration no matter the rhetoric.
Whether that reads as steady leadership or as letting the comments slide depends on who you ask. For now, the ambassador stays, the petition keeps climbing, and the “51st state” line remains a recurring feature of the cross-border relationship rather than a diplomatic breaking point.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why won’t Canada expel the U.S. ambassador?
Prime Minister Mark Carney said the United States is Canada’s biggest trading and security partner, and that Ottawa has to work with the administration “as it is.”
What did Trump actually say?
He referred to Canada as the “51st state” in a Truth Social post that shared an article about Canada falling into a technical recession.
What is the petition about?
A House of Commons petition urges Ottawa to consider expelling Ambassador Pete Hoekstra. It has gathered roughly 14,600 signatures.
