Canadians and Trump critics were definitely not laughing at the president’s latest remarks. “Not going to happen. Not now, not ever,” Aileen Machell, deputy chief of staff to British Columbia’s Premier David Eby, posted on X. “In this time of global uncertainty, one thing is certain — we will never be the 51st state.”

We know that there will always be a close and deep relationship with the Americans,” Canada’s industry minister said. “But I would say also that the rules of the game have changed.”