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bawolfftoday at 2:50 AM1 replyview on HN

The rhetoric was backed by action. That is what makes it different than trolling

Not to mention Trudeau has been gone for a while now, so I dont know how that is relavent.


Replies

YZFtoday at 4:41 AM

That's how it started. I don't recall any actions that went along with that initial trolling but it's possible that I have the wrong sequence of events.

"Donald Trump’s comments about Canada becoming the 51st state began on November 29, 2024, during a three-hour dinner with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. During the Thanksgiving weekend meeting, Trump reportedly joked that if Canada couldn't handle the economic impact of his proposed 25% tariffs, the country should simply become the 51st state, with Trudeau acting as governor.

While Canadian officials present, such as Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, initially downplayed the remark as lighthearted teasing, Trump continued to lean into the rhetoric publicly. By February 2, 2025, Trump was referring to Canada as America's "Cherished 51st state".

The actions were generally tariffs with the initial excuse being Fentanyl and border security when Trump took office.

And yes, Trudeau has been gone for a while but this is how this started.