Trump wanted Canada as the 51st state. He ended up pushing it towards the EU

September 17, 2026 — 7:30pm

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Washington: Early in his second term, US President Donald Trump wanted Canada so entwined with the United States that he even set out to make it the 51st state. Instead, he has driven Canada into the arms of the European Union after antagonising the Canadians for months, taunting the country’s prime minister and waging a relentless trade war.

The invitation by the European Union for Canada to become an “associate member” is a sign of the knock-on effects of Trump’s brand of diplomacy, which often involves threatening countries that once were considered America’s closest friends.

And even if the gesture by the EU ends up being more symbolic than substantive, it shows how Trump is upending global relationships in ways that will be difficult to undo.

“We should see this action from Canada and the EU as a direct consequence of Trump’s actions and rhetoric,” said James Batchik, a deputy director at the Atlantic Council’s Europe Centre. The rhetoric around making Canada the 51st state, he added, “and the threats against Greenland, which are still highly, highly controversial and remembered in Brussels, are really reminders for both sides that the United States is not necessarily that trusted ally that it once was”.

At every turn, Trump’s bullying approach to Canada has appeared to backfire. His trade war stirred up........

© The Age