US President Donald Trump has sparked fresh debate with his latest statement about Canada and the status of King Charles ahead of the British monarch’s long-awaited trip to the United States.
Trump left people surprised with his question, asking if Canada has “stopped” recognizing King Charles as its head of state, while confirming that he will not pursue an invasion of the country.
The 79-year-old appears to backtrack on his repeated threats to absorb Canada as the United States’ “51st State.”
Speaking to royal biographer Robert Hardman for his upcoming book on Elizabeth II, the US president acknowledged that Canada’s two centuries of nationhood made annexation unrealistic for the remainder of his term.
“I guess Canadians have 200 years of history and all that ‘Oh, Canada,'” President Trump said.
He continued: “You can’t deal with that in three and a half years. I guess it’s not going to happen!”
The latest claims represent a notable retreat from his previous provocations toward Ottawa, as he had repeatedly mocked Justin Trudeau, Canada’s former prime minister, with claims that Canadians would benefit from reduced taxes and higher military protection under American rule.
Following his threats, the president even shared an AI-generated image in January showing Canada superimposed on the American flag during a scene in the Oval Office.
When Hardman urged the president to “leave Canada alone,” noting that that would “certainly make the king of Canada unhappy.”
According to Hardman, whose interview with the president of the United States was published in the MailTrump asked: “Do they still recognize the King? Or have they stopped?”
When the royal author confirmed that Canadians recognize the king as their head of state, the American president joked: “But they have these terrible politicians. They’re nice to me and then they say bad things behind my back.”
The president described King Charles as a “fantastic guy”, and expressed particular admiration for how the monarch has coped with his cancer diagnosis.
“He’s a great guy and he’s grown a lot in the last 10 years and especially in the last few years as King. His fight has shown it,” said President Trump.
The King, 77, and his wife, Queen Camilla, 78, have announced that they will visit the United States later this month, and their itinerary will include a speech to a joint session of Congress and a state banquet hosted at the White House.
