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U.S. President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he informed Canada it would cost $61 billion to join his proposed “Golden Dome” missile defence system, while reigniting his rhetoric about Canada becoming the “51st state.”
In a social media post, Trump stated that Canada could either pay billions to be part of the Golden Dome as a “separate, but unequal, Nation,” or pay “ZERO DOLLARS” if it chose to become part of the United States. Trump also claimed that Canada is “considering the offer.”
The Golden Dome, inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome defence system, is a multilayered missile defence shield that Trump first outlined earlier this month. He estimated its total cost at $175 billion, with completion expected by 2029. However, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the space-based components of the system could alone cost as much as $542 billion over the next 20 years.
Following Trump’s announcement, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and his ministers have engaged in wide-ranging discussions with their U.S. counterparts, including talks on strengthening the North American Aerospace Defense Command (Norad) and potentially collaborating on the Golden Dome. Carney has emphasized that Canada intends to negotiate a comprehensive new security and economic relationship with the United States, but firmly rejected any notion of Canada becoming a U.S. state.
In a recent Oval Office meeting with Trump, Carney reiterated that Canada will “never become a U.S. state,” though both leaders described their conversation as cordial and productive. Despite this, Trump expressed continued interest in annexing Canada.
The president’s remarks came just hours after King Charles opened Canada’s Parliament with a throne speech emphasizing national unity and sovereignty. Invited by Carney as a symbolic gesture, the King declared, “as the anthem reminds us, the true North is indeed strong and free,” in response to Trump’s earlier comments.
While Trump’s recent comments suggest a renewed push for the Golden Dome plan, U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra has stated in multiple Canadian media interviews that talk of annexation is over.
