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Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary praised the newly elected president Donald Trump continuing fascination with annexation Canada as an American state, saying there was “something great” about it because it would form “the most powerful country in the world”.
Having spent ridicule over the past few weeks Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offering him to become the “governor” of the “51st state”, the future president upped the ante with a Christmas message to the United States’ neighbor to the north. In addition to recommending that hockey great Wayne Gretzky run for “governor of Canada,” Trump also claimed that Canadians’ taxes would drop massively if they joined the American union.
“But if Canada becomes our 51st country, their taxes would be cut by more than 60 percent,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. “Their businesses would immediately double in size and they would be militarily protected like no other country in the world.”
Trump’s promise to cut taxes if Canada becomes a US state was met with approval of the MAGA-loving Canucks, who said the offer sounded “good” to them. At the same time, however, a recent poll of Canadian citizens showed that 82 percent of them oppose the idea of becoming the 51st state.
During a Friday morning appearance on Fox News, O’Leary — a Canadian businessman who calls himself “Mr. Wonderful” — was asked to weigh in on Trump’s tax cut offer and whether Canadians are receptive.
Claiming that at least half of the country’s citizens “want to know more and understand what the proposal actually is,” O’Leary added that there has been talk of an economic union between the two countries for decades.
Adding that the Pentagon has been concerned about Canada’s northern border and its proximity to Russia for some time, the Shark Tank co-host said China’s recent rise as a superpower has created a “serious problem.” Therefore, according to O’Leary, Trump seeking to annex Canada would be beneficial to both countries.
“I think in this core idea — yes, maybe it was a joke to begin with — there’s something great to do,” he declared. “Because if you were to figure out a way to bring these two countries together, it would be the most powerful country in the world. The most powerful army on earth, the most powerful resources and no adversary anywhere would mess with it. That’s the reward.”
Fox News host Aishah Hasnie then noted a poll that showed only 13 percent of Canadians were receptive to the idea of becoming a US state, prompting O’Leary to dismiss the survey results entirely.
“Kevin, what you’re saying is that maybe it doesn’t have to be a land grab. Maybe you can broker some sort of economic union. That’s what you want to do, right?” Hasnie added
“Yeah, that poll is irrelevant,” O’Leary exclaimed. “The opportunity is here. It’s a combination of forces. You don’t have to sell or merge the country, but create a union where you merge the things that matter: a common currency, a common passport, free trade across borders, especially in energy.”
After saying Trudeau was likely to lose re-election in the next few months, O’Leary expressed hope that the new prime minister would reach a deal with Trump.
“It may have to wait, but many Canadians are interested in how we can take this idea forward, and I’m one of them,” he excitedly declared. “I think it’s a great idea and the potential is huge and the possibilities are huge.”
O’Leary concluded, “I think at the end of the day, Canadians and Americans, their DNA is the same in terms of what they believe. Freedom. They fought together in several wars. I say let’s make it happen and end up as the strongest entity on earth.”