USA

For the past century, the United States and Canada have been the best of friends, and war between them was unimaginable. Before that, however, it was a possibility that was always at the back of mind for military strategists on both sides of the borders—in no small part because the two had gone to war before.

Today, however, anxieties have flared. President Donald Trump has spoken openly about extending the borders of the United States all the way to the high Arctic, insisting that Greenland would be safer as a U.S. territory, while Canada could join the union as the 51st state. This will happen, Trump insists, through peaceful means.

Mark Carney, the new prime minister of Canada, called the idea of Canada becoming America’s 51st state “crazy.” This assumes President Donald Trump was serious, as opposed to Trump taking a whack at former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In his acceptance speech, Carney said, “The Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country … if they succeed, they will destroy our way of life.”

Mark Carney has returned from Washington and is taking a bow from the highly supportive Canadian political media for a very cordial meeting with U.S. President Trump. He set out to replicate his mighty but unsuccessful effort as governor of the Bank of England to terrorize the British public over the prospect of the United Kingdom departing the European Union, which Britain had never voted to enter, and squeaked into the minority reelection of an otherwise failed Liberal government of Canada as the man who could stand up to Donald Trump. President Trump heaped compliments on his visitor and with some justification took credit for Carney’s election victory, said that he (Trump) was the best thing that ever happened to him (Carney) and slapped him jovially on the knee. Readers will recall that I said at every stage that the hysteria about Trump was a nothingburger and that no more would be heard about Carney’s theory that “Trump is trying to break us” and that “This country’s intimacy with the United States is over, a tragedy but the reality.” When asked about this last week President Trump said “He was running for public office,” a gracious explanation of the ludicrous canard that Trump is any kind of a threat to Canada.

As hundreds of thousands of Canadians turn away from vacations and day-trips to the U.S., those who work for companies with cross-border operations are finding themselves in a tough spot.

“If I had not already started this project in 2024, I would not be taking it on now to travel to the U.S.,” Tyler, an engineer originally from Vancouver who now lives and works in the U.K., told the Star.

Tyler asked that the Star only use his first name out of concerns speaking publicly could cause him issues entering the U.S. for future work trips.

Mere weeks after Prime Minister Mark Carney declared that bilateral relations with the U.S. were “over,” he’s leaned into a pro-American stance that is almost entirely at odds with the position he took during the federal election campaign.

In a video posted to Carney’s social media accounts on Wednesday, he featured smiling images of himself and U.S. President Donald Trump, and of U.S. Marines holding the Canadian flag. “Canada and the United States are stronger when we work together,” Carney says in a narration.

This is the start of a new economic and security relationship between Canada and the United States. pic.twitter.com/HCJATcpndZ

— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) May 7, 2025