During a press conference on Thursday with United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer, President Donald Trump abruptly ended a question about his ongoing desire to make Canada “the 51st state.” The exchange came after a reporter asked Starmer if he had discussed Trump’s repeated statements about annexing Canada and whether King Charles, as head of state, had any concerns about these remarks.
In response, Starmer sought to deflect the question, emphasizing the strong and productive relationship between the U.S. and the UK. “We had a really good discussion, a productive discussion… Our teams are happy to be working together on an economic deal, and our teams are going to be working together on security in Ukraine,” he said. He dismissed any notion of division between the two leaders, stressing, “We’re the closest of nations, and we had very good discussions today.”
However, when the reporter pressed the issue of Canada, Starmer was interrupted by Trump, who waved his hand and said, “That’s enough, thank you,” signaling that the topic should be dropped. Starmer immediately stopped speaking and both leaders moved on from the question, maintaining a cordial atmosphere throughout the rest of the press conference.
The White House quickly responded to the incident, denying any attempt by Trump to silence Starmer. On the social platform X, the White House posted, “Fake News. President Trump was clearly talking to the reporter trying to goad the leaders into division,” refuting the interpretation that the President had shut down Starmer.
This back-and-forth came amid Trump’s repeated comments about making Canada the 51st U.S. state. Earlier this month, Trump expressed his admiration for Canadians, stating that it would be “the greatest thing they could ever do” if Canada joined the U.S. His remarks have drawn significant pushback from Canadian officials, who have firmly rejected the idea of annexation.
Canada, which became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations in 1931, remains an independent country with strong ties to the UK. The country’s monarch, King Charles, serves as the head of the Commonwealth, which includes 56 countries.
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In addition to the annexation topic, Trump’s meeting with Starmer also touched on economic and security matters, including cooperation on Ukraine. Earlier this month, Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had agreed to pause the implementation of 25 percent tariffs, but Trump confirmed on Thursday that those tariffs are now set to take effect next week, marking another development in U.S.-Canada relations.
While Trump’s comments about Canada’s status remain a point of contention, the press conference highlighted the ongoing diplomatic discussions between the U.S. and its closest allies, with both leaders attempting to steer the conversation toward their shared goals and mutual interests.