Since the independence of the United States, various movements within Canada and the United States have campaigned in favor of U.S. annexation of parts of or all of Canada.

In the early years of the United States, many American political figures were in favour of invading and annexing Canada and even pre-approved the admission of the Province of Quebec to the U.S. in the Articles of Confederation in 1777. During the American Revolutionary War, the Americans invaded the St. Lawrence River Valley, but were repelled. Americans also fought the British and allied Indigenous peoples in the Ohio Country — what was then the southwest of Quebec; at the end of the war, the land south of the Great Lakes was ceded to the newly independent United States and became the Northwest Territory. In the War of 1812, the Americans again invaded British North America in reprisal for the British impressment of American sailors on the high seas and support for Indigenous peoples resisting American westward expansion, but were repulsed again.

During and after the American Civil War, several American politicians called for the annexation of the Province of Canada because of Britain's material support for the Confederacy, which one historian asserts lengthened the war by two years, mostly inflicted by Confederate blockade runners (which were mostly British-built) delivering arms supplies primarily from Britain.^[1][2] Confederate agents operating in Canada received support from a large portion of Canadians throughout the war, allowing the British colony to be used as a base to attack the U.S., such as in the St. Albans Raid.^[3] In the 1872 Alabama Claims, the U.S. was compensated $15.5 million in war reparations by the British for damages caused only by British-built Confederate commerce raiders, as part of the 1871 Treaty of Washington. Historian Joseph Levitt notes:

Since the Treaty of Washington in 1871, when it first de facto recognized the new Dominion of Canada, the United States has never suggested or promoted an annexationist movement in Canada. No serious force has appeared on the American political scene that aimed to persuade or coerce Canadians into joining the United States. And no serious initiative for any move in this direction has come from the Canadian side either.^[4]

Surveys have suggested that a minority of Canadians would potentially support annexation, ranging from as many as 20 percent in a survey by Léger Marketing in 2001^[5] to as few as seven percent in another survey by the same company in 2004.^[6]

Since his election victory in 2024, U.S. President Donald Trump has renewed calls for Canada to be annexed as the 51st state of the United States.^[7] Canada responded strongly against these calls, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying on Twitter that "[t]here isn't a snowball's chance in hell that Canada would become a part of the United States".^[8][9]

Historical annexationist movements inside Canada were usually inspired by dissatisfaction with Britain's colonial government of Canada. Groups of Irish immigrants took the route of armed struggle, attempting to annex the peninsula between the Detroit and Niagara Rivers to the U.S. by force in the minor and short-lived Patriot War in 1837–1838. Not all rebels desired union with the United States; some fought for a separate nation independent from Britain and for liberal social reforms.^{[citation needed]} Despite some unrest, Canadian resentment of British rule never reached the degree that led to the American Revolution in 1775. Notably, Canada's population growth in the late 18th and early 19th centuries was spurred largely by United Empire Loyalists, who left the American colonies during the Revolution because of their loyalty to Great Britain. In the period from 1790 to 1837, imperial officials repeatedly denounced American-style republicanism and tried to suppress it.

Between 1848 and 1854, a significant and articulate minority of conservatives in Upper Canada advocated constitutional changes modelled on the American federal-state system and the US Constitution. They critiqued Canada's imitation of British parliamentary government as simultaneously too democratic and too tyrannical. They believed it destroyed the independence of the appointed governor and Legislative Council and further concentrated power in the Cabinet. This critique led many conservatives to argue that the American model of checks and balances offered Canada a more balanced and conservative form of democracy than did the British parliamentary government.^{[citation needed]} These "republican conservatives" debated a series of constitutional changes, including annexation to the United States, an elected governor, an elected Legislative Council, a federal union of British North America, and imperial federation, within this framework. These conservatives had accepted "government by discussion" as the appropriate basis for political order.^[10]

Around 1850 there was a serious annexationist movement on the border region of Quebec's Eastern Townships, where the American-descended majority felt that union with the United States would end their economic isolation and stagnation as well as remove them from the growing threat of French Canadian political domination. Leading proponents of this bipartisan movement were careful not to appear disloyal to Britain, however, and they actively discouraged popular protest at the local level. Fearful of American-style democracy, the local elite also expressed revulsion toward American slavery and militaristic expansionism. Consequently, the movement died as quickly in the Eastern Townships as it did in Montreal after Britain expressed its official disapproval and trade with the United States began to increase.^[11]

In Montreal in midcentury, with little immigration and complaints that the repeal of the Corn Laws had cut the region off from its British trade links, a small but organized group supported integrating the colonies into the United States. The leading organization advocating merger was the Annexation Association, founded in 1849 by an alliance of French Canadian nationalists and Anglophone businessmen in Montreal who had a common interest in the republic. Many of its members, including Louis-Joseph Papineau, were participants in the 1837-38 rebellions.^{[citation needed]}

The Montreal Annexation Manifesto was published in 1849. It was hoped a merger with the United States would give Canada markets for its goods, ensure national security, and provide the finances to develop the West. A half measure was the Canadian–American Reciprocity Treaty of 1854 that linked the two countries economically.^{[citation needed]} However, the movement died out in 1854. Annexation was never a very popular choice. Many Canadians were loyal to the Crown and Great Britain, especially the descendants of the United Empire Loyalists. French Canadians worried about being an even smaller minority in a larger union, and were concerned about American anti-Catholicism. The American Civil War, further convinced many Canadians that the American experiment was a failure.^{[citation needed]}

United States Secretary of State William Seward predicted in 1860 that western British North America, from Manitoba to British Columbia, would with Russian Alaska join the United States. Many in Britain, such as Goldwin Smith and The Times of London, were pessimistic about the future of British North America and agreed with Seward; The Times said that Britain would only object if the United States attempted to take the territory by force.^[12] In the late 1860s, residents of British Columbia, which was not yet a Canadian province, responded to the United States' purchase of Alaska with fear of being surrounded by American territory. Some residents wanted the colony to be the next American purchase. Local opinion was divided, as the three Vancouver Island newspapers supported annexation to the United States, while the three mainland newspapers rejected the idea. Even opponents of the annexation scheme admitted that Great Britain had neglected the region and that grievances were justified. Nonetheless, annexation sentiment disappeared within a few months and prominent leaders moved toward confederation with Canada.^[13]

Petitions circulated in favour of American annexation. The first, in 1867, was addressed to Queen Victoria, demanding that the British government assume the colony's debts and establish a steamer link, or allow the colony to join the U.S. In 1869, a second petition was addressed to President Ulysses S. Grant, asking him to negotiate American annexation of the territory from Britain. It was delivered to Grant by Vincent Colyer, Indian Commissioner for Alaska, on December 29, 1869. Both petitions were signed by only a small fraction of the colony's population, and British Columbia was ultimately admitted as a Canadian province in 1871.^{[citation needed]}

Most Canadians were strongly opposed to the prospect of American annexation. Reports of the Annexation Bill of 1866 — a bill that, contrary to myth, never came to a vote — might have been one of the many factors behind Canadian Confederation in 1867. Much more serious were the Fenian raids made by Irish Americans across the border in 1866, which spurred a wave of patriotic feeling that helped the cause of Confederation.^[14]

Nonetheless, a substantial annexationist movement existed in Nova Scotia, and to a lesser degree in New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario, during the 1860s. Nova Scotia anti-confederationists led by Joseph Howe felt that pro-confederation premier Charles Tupper had caused the province to agree to join Canada without popular support. Howe in London unsuccessfully attempted to persuade the government to free Nova Scotia from the pending British North America Act by threatening American annexation. A significant economic downturn occurred after the end of 1866 of the Reciprocity Treaty of 1854; the colony was heavily dependent on selling fish to Americans, causing many to believe that free trade with the United States was necessary for prosperity. Anti-confederationists won all but two seats in the 1867 provincial election; as in British Columbia, they did not necessarily support annexation. They again sent Howe to London to free Nova Scotia but in 1868 the British government again refused, believing that New Brunswick would likely follow Nova Scotia out of the dominion and cause the new nation to collapse.^[15]

Angry Nova Scotians began talking seriously about annexation. An alarmed Howe — who wished Nova Scotia to be free of Canada but still with Britain — warned his supporters against disloyalty, dividing anti-confederationists. The provincial government, dominated by extremists who now also opposed Howe, decided that if another appeal to London failed it would seize federal offices and unilaterally declare annexation, believing that Britain would not use force to stop Nova Scotia. Believing he had no choice, Howe left the anti-confederationists. Although he narrowly won reelection to his federal parliamentary seat in March 1869 as a confederationist, support for secession and annexation grew that year; however, by 1871 the movement had mostly disappeared. The federal government promised changes to taxes and tariffs, the economy was revived, and the United States agreed to free trade for Canadian fish.^[15]

A Quebec-born homeopathic physician, Prosper Bender, expressed disappointment with the Canadian experiment in the 1880s and 1890s. An author and the former host of a literary circle in Quebec City, Bender suddenly moved to Boston in 1882. After celebrating the promise of Confederation, he became a strong proponent of annexation to the United States and something of an intercultural broker; he helped interpret French-Canadian culture to American readers.^[16] Bender wrote in the North American Review in 1883 that many Canadians believed that annexation by the United States would occur "within the present generation, if not sooner". He believed that Irish Catholics — about one-quarter of Canada's population — would prefer annexation because of the British rule of Ireland. They would be joined by the majority of those under 40, who viewed the United States as a prosperous, fast-growing neighbour providing many opportunities. (The author attributed the absence of an active annexationist movement in part to many who would favor such an effort taking the "easiest and quietest method of securing the benefits of annexation, by themselves silently migrating to the Republic", as more than a million already had.)^[17]

Bender believed that Prime Minister John A. Macdonald's promise of a transcontinental railway linking eastern Canada to British Columbia to be overambitious and too expensive, and unfavourably compared the Canadian government's growing debt to the United States' rapid reduction of its Civil War debt.^{[citation needed]} He stated that Canadian businesses would benefit from duty-free access to the American market, while "wondrous American enterprise, supported by illimitable capital" would rapidly prosper Canada, especially its vast undeveloped interior. Bender concluded with pessimism about the likelihood of success of a nation divided in two parts by 1,200 miles of "forbidding, silent wilderness stretching from the head-waters of the Ottawa to Thunder Bay, and thence to Manitoba".^[17]

In 1891, Goldwin Smith posited in his book Canada and the Canadian Question that Canada's eventual annexation by the United States was inevitable, and should be welcomed if Canadians genuinely believed in the ideal of democracy. His view did not receive widespread support.^[18]

In January 1893, concerned about Canada's possible annexation, a goal then being pursued by the Continental Union Association, a group of Ontario and Quebec Liberals, Prime Minister Sir John Thompson delivered a speech on tolerance, Canadian nationalism and continued loyalty to Britain. Thompson eventually learned that the desire to make Canada part of the U.S. was confined to a small minority amongst the Liberals.^{[citation needed]}

In 1901 W. T. Stead, a newspaper editor in London, England, discussed in The Americanization of the World possible annexations of Canada and Newfoundland. He believed that because of its size and strength Canada would likely be the last of Britain's possessions in the Americas to join the United States. Stead cited several reasons for why he believed annexation seemed "inevitable", however, including rapidly growing economic ties and migration between the two countries, the French Shore, and disputes over the Alaska boundary and fishing rights in the Atlantic.^[19]

After the discovery of gold in the Yukon, many Canadians proposed to annex parts of Alaska currently controlled by the United States, by calling for a revision in the original map of the boundary line between the Russian Empire and the United States.^{[citation needed]} The US offered to lease the territory but not to give it back. London and Washington agreed on arbitration, with one member of the panel from Canada. In 1903 the Chief Justice of Britain sided with the Americans to resolve the map dispute in favour of the United States. Many Canadians felt a sense of betrayal on the part of the British government, whose own national interest required close ties to the United States, regardless of the interests of Canada.^[20]

The 1932 establishment of the International Peace Garden on the North Dakota–Manitoba border honored the long-lasting friendship between the two countries rather than attempts at annexation.^{[citation needed]}

While the Dominion of Newfoundland was still separate from Canada, before 1949, a party known as the Economic Union Party sought closer ties with the United States. However, Canada objected to the possibility, and the British government, which administered the Dominion of Newfoundland as a de facto colony under an appointed Commission of Government, would not allow it to consider annexation with the United States in any referendum. Instead, the EUP sought to resume "responsible government" and would then explore American annexation.^[21] A referendum showed a plurality in support of independence, but not a majority; a runoff referendum resulted in Newfoundland instead confederating with Canada to become the tenth province.^{[citation needed]}

The Unionest Party was a provincial political party in Saskatchewan in 1980 that promoted the union of the western provinces with the United States. It was the most politically successful annexationist group, but its success was both short-lived and extremely limited in scope. The party briefly had two members in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, both of whom crossed the floor from another party, but dissolved within a few weeks after failing to qualify for official party status.^[22]

The original Parti 51 was a short-lived political party in Quebec in the 1980s that advocated Quebec's admission to the United States as the 51st state. The party won just 3,846 votes, or 0.11 percent of the popular vote in the province, in the 1989 election — fewer votes than the Marxist–Leninists or the satirical Lemon Party — and was dissolved the following year.^[23]

In 2016 Hans Mercier, a pro-American lawyer from Saint-Georges, Quebec, revived Parti 51 for a second time.^[24] Mercier told La Presse that the times have changed since the party's previous era, as Quebec sovereigntism has waned in popularity. Mercier argued that Americans would be welcoming of a new Quebec state, and pointed to a survey taken during the administration of George W. Bush that suggested nearly 34 percent of Quebecers would support joining the United States.^[25] The revived party ran five candidates and received just 1,117 votes provincewide in the 2018 Quebec general election, representing 0.03 percent of the provincewide popular vote.^{[citation needed]} The party ran again and received just 689 votes provincewide in the 2022 Quebec general election, representing 0.02 percent of the provincewide popular vote.

One poll in the 2020s, noted by the Toronto Star, showed that about 50% of Americans are against Canada joining, 25% are in favor, and 25% are not sure.^[26]

Starting in December 2024, then President-elect Donald Trump and his supporters began expressing support for Canadian annexation into the United States of America as its 51st state. This came after months of tariff threats on Canadian goods and renewed demands by Trump for Canada to increase its military spending and prioritize border security.^[27] However, most Canadian politicians dismissed this notion, and numerous Canadians expressed their opposition to the proposed take-over, as indicated by public opinion surveys.^[28][26] Trump has continued to make proposals to annex Canada following his inauguration as President of the United States.

In December 2024, during a tense meeting at Mar-a-Lago over trade deficits and border security, Trump suggested Canada consider becoming the 51st U.S. state if Prime Minister Trudeau felt his planned tariffs would hurt Canada's economy. He referred to Trudeau as "Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada" and said he looked forward to meeting with him again to continue talks on tariffs and trade.^[29][30] Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc, who attended the meeting, described Trump's comments as a joke.^[31]

On December 18, 2024, Trump posted on Truth Social advocating for Canada to become the 51st state. Trump claimed that many Canadians favor statehood due to potential tax savings, economic growth and increased security. ^[32][33] He also proposed that Canadian ice hockey player, Wayne Gretzky, consider a run for Prime Minister or as the Governor and attested that he could win easily.^[34] Following Justin Trudeau's resignation, Trump reiterated his suggestion that Canada join the United States, and claimed that Canadian interest in the idea contributed to Trudeau's resignation.^[35][36]

On January 7, 2025, during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, Trump ruled out the use of military force to annex Canada, instead advocating for "economic force" to pressure Canada into joining.^[37] Trump then posted an image on Truth Social with the U.S. flag emblazoned across the territories of the U.S. and Canada with the caption referencing the national anthem of Canada.^[38] On the same day, Fox News commentator Jesse Watters expressed during a broadcast the desire for a military invasion of Canada saying that it would "quench [his] imperialist thirst".^[39] He also stated that Canadians should consider it a privilege to be taken over by the United States.^{[40][41][42][43]} Trump's comments were widely condemned by Canadian politicians. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated there was "not a snowball's chance in hell" of Canada joining the United States.^[44][45][46] Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre affirmed, "Canada will never be the 51st state. Period. We are a great and independent country."^[47] New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh called Trump a "bully" and dismissed his proposal as absurd, saying, "Cut the crap, Donald. No Canadian wants to join you." Statements criticizing Trump's comments were also made by other federal and provincial leaders and politicians.^[48][49][50] Following the Mar-a-Lago remarks, Canadian government officials were reportedly no longer seeing Trump's comments as satirical, but were now taking Trump's "threats" seriously, with LeBlanc stating on January 8, "the joke is over".^[51]

During his inaugural address on January 20, 2025. Trump stated that during his second presidency, the United States would expand its territory, which was in keeping with his pre-inaugural remarks about annexing the territory of other nations, including Canada's.^[52][53][54]

Before taking office for a second time, Trump had indicated his intention to apply heavy tariffs on Canada, as well as stating on January 7 that it was his ambition to use "economic force" to force Canada into joining the United States.^[55]

Speaking at the World Economic Forum on January 23, Trump dismissed Canada's importance as a trade partner, asserting that the United States does not rely on Canadian oil, gas, vehicles, or lumber. Trump reiterated his threats of broad tariffs and said that Canada could avoid the tariffs by becoming a U.S. state. According to the press, Trump's comment on Canada becoming the 51st state to avoid tariffs was met with shocked gasps in the hall.^[56][57]

On February 1, 2025, Trump announced 25% tariffs on all Canadian goods that would take effect on February 4, 2025; this decision was met with anger by Canadian officials.^[58] The following day on February 2, Trump reaffirmed his desire to annex Canada in a statement saying that Canada should become the "cherished 51st State", promising no tariffs and guaranteeing their military security if they do.^[59] On February 3, after postponing the tariffs, Trump seemed to acknowledge it would be a long shot, saying some unnamed people don't have a threshold for pain.^[60]

On March 4, after his one-month postponement of the Canadian tariffs expired, Trump ultimately enacted sweeping 25 percent tariffs on Canadian imports. In response, Trudeau declared retaliatory tariffs and said he believed that Trump's ultimate intent was to cripple the Canadian economy to force it to join the U.S., but that he believed this attempt would be unsuccessful.^[61]

On January 24, while holding a press conference in North Carolina, Trump reaffirmed his stance that Canada should become the 51st state, making claims that under an American-controlled Canada, Canadians would be offered "lower taxes" and "better health care".^[62][63]

Trump's proposals have been received broadly negatively in Canada, being condemned by all major political parties and leaders as well as causing increasing strain on Canadian–U.S. relations. Polling conducted on the proposals has shown little support by Canadians for Canada becoming the 51st state.^{[64][65][28][66]}

Trump's proposals have been widely condemned by Canadian officials at both provincial and federal levels. As Trump's comments progressed, the stance of Canadian officials changed from viewing the U.S. President's proposal as satirical to viewing it as a legitimate threat. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated publicly that he was against the proposal of Canada joining the United States, stating "there isn't a snowball's chance in hell".^[67][68] Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre stated that Canada will never become the 51st state.^[69] On February 7, 2025, Trudeau was caught on a hot mic moment where he acknowledged the possibility as "a real thing".^[70] In the closed-door meeting, a source stated that Trudeau labelled Trump's moves as originating from an interest in gaining access to Canada's critical mineral resources.^[71]

Jagmeet Singh, leader of the NDP, stated he saw the threat as real and called for strong action in response. "I want dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs in place urgently, a 100 per cent tariff on Elon Musk's Teslas, and changes to procurement so Canada buys Canadian-made steel and aluminum for Canadian construction and manufacturing – protecting good, Canadian jobs... We will not let Trump - or anyone - threaten our values, economy or sovereignty."^[72] Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party, hit back at the proposals from Trump at length, stating the comments were "never funny". May highlighted that Canada and the U.S. are very different, with Canada being a constitutional monarchy with a king as head of state, compared with America's republican system with a president.^[73] May also jokingly invited three U.S. states to join Canada.^[74][75]

Canada's head of state, Charles III, and his representative, Mary Simon, the Governor General of Canada, have not commented on Trump's proposals, due to the non-partisan role they play in the Canadian political system. A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace stated that Trump's annexation threats are "not something we would comment on".^[76] Experts have said, however, that if the situation with the United States continues, the Canadian government could ask the King to get involved in a limited capacity, such as by visiting Canada.^[77][78]

Trump's annexation and tariff threats have led to a noted increase in Canadian nationalism and patriotism since January 2025,^[79][80] including boycotts of American-manufactured goods,^[81] and Canadian fans booing and heckling the playing of the United States national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner" before sporting events involving American teams, whilst cheering and applauding the Canadian national anthem "O Canada".^[82][83][84] An Ottawa-based branding company began selling caps with the slogan "Canada is not for sale", satirizing the "Make America Great Again" caps worn by Trump and his supporters; the caps have received widespread media and political attention, with Ontario premier Doug Ford having frequently worn them publicly and during a meeting with other premiers. The company struggled to keep up with the demand for the hats.^[85][86][87]

The 4 Nations Face-Off—an NHL-hosted hockey tournament featuring teams representing Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States—was held in February 2025 amid the animosity created by Trump's threats, with the American national anthem being booed by fans in Montreal during a Canada–United States round robin game, and some commentators drawing comparisons between the tournament and the 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union.^[88][89] The tournament final was played in Boston between the United States and Canada teams, where American fans contrarily booed Chantal Kreviazuk's performance of "O Canada". In protest of the annexation threats, Kreviazuk changed the lyric "in all of us command" to "that only us command".^[90] Following Canada's overtime victory in the final, Trudeau remarked on Twitter, "You can't take our country—and you can't take our game".^[90]

Since Donald Trump's comments on his support of annexing Canada, there have been some opinion polls conducted asking Canadians about their opinion of the proposal. The responses from Canadians have been overwhelmingly against Canada joining the United States as the 51st state. The strongest support for joining the US comes from Alberta.^[28]

Polls asking Canadian citizens

Should Canada join the United States of America as the 51st state
Date	Pollster/company	Yes	No	Unsure
17 Jan 2025	Abacus Data[91]	22%	71%	8%
16 Jan 2025	Ipsos[92]	20%	80%	—
14 Jan 2025	Angus Reid[28]	10%	90%
10 Dec 2024	Léger[93]	13%	82%	5%

The president of the Angus Reid Institute, Shachi Kurl, added that the main reason why some Canadians support the idea of joining the United States is because they feel underserved by their current government; others see opportunities for personal gains.^[94] Other reasons for wanting to leave Canada and join the U.S. include disliking the British monarchy.^[94]

Some polls have also been conducted asking American opinions on Canada being annexed as the 51st state. An Angus Reid poll reported 49% of Americans opposing the proposal and 25% supporting it, with 26% being unsure.^[26] Only half of the Americans surveyed said that Canada should be granted full statehood if they chose to join; 77% said that Canada should have the right to decide for themselves whether to join the U.S. or not and 5% said that it should be by economic force. Trump has rejected the idea of using military force.^[26]

Two modern provincial political parties have proposed that their province secede from Canada and join the United States. Neither attracted significant support. A 2022 poll showed that fewer than one in four Albertans support separation from Canada.^[95]

Alberta separatism has proposed several paths, one of which is joining the United States. However, few among Albertan secessionists support actual annexation.^[98]

Insofar, the most vocal group in Alberta advocating for annexation to the United States is the Alberta 51 Project, founded in 2023.^[99][100] Among the group's stated goals are the elimination of customs barriers, a stronger military presence, the protections of the US Constitution, enhanced protection for land and resources, and economic stability through the U.S. dollar.^[101] During an event in Calgary where American political commentator Tucker Carlson spoke with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, a minor demonstration by members of the Alberta 51 Project took place. Demonstrators displayed signs and a Trump 2024 campaign flag in support of Alberta annexationism.^[102]

Initially, Premier Danielle Smith, believed that Trump's comments about annexing Canada were made in jest.^[103] However, amid escalating trade tensions between Canada and the United States following Trump's annexation proposal, Smith refused to endorse a retaliatory response to U.S. tariffs imposed by Trump.^[104] Instead, Smith advocated for increasing U.S. purchases of Alberta oil and rejected measures such as curtailing, suspending, or taxing energy exports. This stance placed Smith at odds with the federal government and other premiers across Canada.^[105][106]

On January 12, Smith set up an impromptu meeting with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, as a guest of Canadian businessman and television personality Kevin O'Leary,^[107] discussing U.S.-Canadian energy relations.^[108] After she met with Trump, Smith has warned that blocking energy exports to the U.S. in response to Trump's tariff threats could lead to a "national unity crisis" in Canada, as oil and gas resources are primarily owned by the provinces, and that such a move by the federal government would not be tolerated in Alberta. She also remarked that if the federal government proceeded with an export ban, she could not "predict what Albertans would do".^[109][110] Smith expressed to other premiers that she was committed safeguarding the livelihoods of Albertans from "destructive federal policies".^[106] While O'Leary expressed support for an "economic union",^[111] Smith remained noncommittal, refraining from taking a definitive stance on the issue of annexation.^[112]

Amidst no change in American attitudes in March, Smith criticized Trump's tariffs as a betrayal and warned of economic challenges ahead. Smith still opposes an Alberta oil export tax as a countermeasure, however, arguing it would harm Canada's reliability as a supplier. Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi criticized her stance, arguing it weakens Canada's bargaining power.^[113][114]

Following statements by U.S. President Donald Trump expressing interest in annexing Canada, Alberta has emerged as the province least resistant to such a proposal. A recent poll by the Angus Reid Institute indicated that approximately 18% of respondents in Alberta favored Trump's annexation proposal, more than anywhere else in Canada, but still showing a vast majority of Albertans opposed such a move.^[115]

In his 2014 book The Accidental Superpower, American geopolitical analyst Peter Zeihan suggested that both Alberta and the United States could benefit if Alberta became the 51st U.S. state. Zeihan argued that Alberta's economic contributions significantly support the Canadian national budget, noting that it consistently contributes more than it receives.^[116][117] He projected that, by 2020, Alberta's net financial contribution would exceed $20,000 per person, or $40,000 per taxpayer, which he characterized as one of the largest per capita wealth transfers in the Western world. Zeihan also highlighted the economic disparity between Alberta and other parts of Canada, suggesting that Alberta might maintain its prosperity more effectively outside of Canada.^[118] Though Zeihan's assertion that Alberta would become the richest state in the Union remains speculative, it reflects ongoing debates about the province's economic future and political alignment. Economists have noted that Alberta's economy, often compared to that of Texas, has a strong reliance on oil, gas, and agricultural exports. Any shift in sovereignty would require complex negotiations, such as adopting new tax structures, renegotiating trade agreements, and determining how to manage Alberta's extensive national parks and public lands. There are also concerns that Alberta's exit from Canada could disrupt established trade relationships under existing agreements like NAFTA.^[101]

Jordan Peterson, an Alberta-born United States resident media commentator,^[119] describes Alberta's position as increasingly tenuous, caught between federal policies that he claims stifle the province's energy industry and a U.S. administration that perceives Canada as economically dependent. He suggests that Alberta might consider statehood if Canada fails to provide a compelling reason to remain part of the federation. He outlines potential economic advantages Alberta could gain by joining the United States, including lower taxes, improved market access, and enhanced infrastructure support. Peterson stops short of advocating for Alberta's secession, instead calling for a renewed national vision focused on economic growth, strengthening national identity, and self-reliance. He warns that without a significant policy shift, Canada risks economic stagnation while the U.S. continues to grow its influence and prosperity.^[120] Edmonton Journal columnist David Staples argued that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's governance has alienated Alberta through policies that undermine its oil and gas industry, recalling past comments by Trudeau that framed Alberta's influence as detrimental to Canada, reinforcing Western grievances about federal policies that restrict pipeline development and divert wealth from Alberta to the east. He argues that an Alberta free from Trudeau's policies could thrive economically, doubling oil production, reducing costs of living, and regaining regulatory autonomy.^[121]

By contrast, Calgary Herald political columnist Rob Breakenridge contended that Trump's proposal for Canadian statehood would be particularly harmful to Alberta. He argued that Alberta would lose its provincial autonomy, resources, and distinct identity. Assets such as the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund and energy royalties would come under centralized control, diminishing Alberta's self-determination. Breakenridge dismissed statehood as impractical, instead calling for Canadians to address internal political divisions and instead emphasized the need for new Canadian leadership to address challenges from the Trump administration while maintaining Canada's sovereignty and unity.^[122]

While talking with a guest on Tucker Carlson Today in January 2023, American commentator Tucker Carlson provocatively questioned, "We're spending all this money to liberate Ukraine from the Russians, why are we not sending an armed force north to liberate Canada from Trudeau?" Carlson then laughed at his remark, describing it as a "frenzy".^[123]

In the 1911 federal election, the Conservative response to the proposed reciprocity treaty negotiated by the Liberals was to denounce it as equivalent to an American economic takeover, with annexation likely to follow. The parties swapped positions in the later 1988 federal election when the Liberals used the same type of rhetoric to denounce the Progressive Conservatives' proposed Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement, although the Progressive Conservatives won that election and the agreement was implemented.^{[citation needed]}

Annexation fears can be found throughout Canadian History for Dummies, in which humourist Will Ferguson stated that for "John L. O'Sullivan, it was the 'manifest destiny' of the United States to annex and possess all of North America".^[124] In fact, O'Sullivan's use of the term never extended beyond potential American annexation of Texas and the Oregon Territory; he explicitly wrote that he did not believe that the United States had a destiny to annex Canada.^[125]

Political satirists, including the Rhinoceros Party of Canada, have occasionally proposed reverse annexation, whereby all or part of the United States would be annexed into an expanded Canadian federation.^[126] Following the 2004 American election, some Americans distributed the satirical Jesusland map on the Internet, depicting a similar proposal under which the "blue states" were part of a new political entity called "The United States of Canada". In 2019, there was a petition calling for the United States to sell Montana to Canada to pay off the U.S. debt.^[127][128]

On December 8, 2024, responding to Trump's annexation proposal, Green Party of Canada leader Elizabeth May humorously suggested California, Oregon, and Washington join Canada instead, reviewing the idea of the Cascadia Movement. She offered universal health care and stricter gun laws and said Republican administrations may be happy to "get rid of all these states that always vote Democrat".^[129]

One article in Newsweek tried to analyze the economic, social, and geographic implications on the United States. They noted that Canada is slightly larger in population than California, the largest current US state by population, but has about 25 times the land area of California.^[130] However, the economy is smaller than several US States, including California, New York, and Texas; overall the U.S. economy is ten times the size of Canada at the time.^[130] Economically, such a merger is predicted to increase trade, but result in increased competition for businesses.^[130]

Canadian author Don Tapscott analyzed and proposed conditions for a merger, including preserving Canada's healthcare system, maintaining provincial identities as states, and introducing legal reforms on campaign finance, education funding, and gun control. Tapscott also noted that Ontario would become the fifth-largest state in the U.S. with 16 million residents and that Canada spends 11% of its GDP on healthcare compared to the U.S.'s 19% while achieving longer life expectancy. Critics say if annexation happens, nearly half of the population present in provinces could move and resettle across different states in the US, and the formerly-Canadian population would much decrease.^[131]

• War Plan Red
• North American Union
• Anglo-America
• American imperialism
• American expansionism under Donald Trump
• Canadian nationalism
• Indigenous land claims in Canada
• Proposals for the United States to purchase Greenland
• Quebec sovereignty movement
• Jesusland map