New Democratic Party (NDP) leader and ex-Justin Trudeau ally Jagmeet Singh on Monday warned US President-elect Donald Trump after the latter offered Canada to merge with the United States as its 51st state. 

“I have a message for Donald Trump. Our country is not for sale. Not now, not ever. I lived across this country and I can tell you Canadians are a proud people. We’re proud of our country, and we are ready to fight like hell to defend it,” Singh said in a video message.

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The NDP leader said Canadian firefighters, like a good neighbour, were actively involved in containing a massive blaze that has caused havoc in Los Angeles, warning the US Republican leader of countermeasures against his misadventure.

“Right now, with the forest fires ravaging homes, Canadian firefighters showed up. That’s who we are. We show up and support our neighbours. But if Donald Trump thinks he can pick a fight with us, there will be a price to pay. I have committed that if Donald Trump imposes tariffs, on us, we should respond with retaliatory tariffs. I think anyone running as the Prime Minister should do the same,” he added.  

Notably, Trump, ahead of his inauguration on January 20, suggested Canada should merge with the United States as its 51st state for its social and economic welfare. Trump also threatened to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian imports, adding that taxes would decrease and there would be no tariffs if Canada merged with the US. This came after Justin Trudeau relinquished the PM post over suspected economic woes that the country currently faces. 

However, Trudeau categorically stated that there was no chance of Canada merging with the US. “There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States. Workers and communities in both our countries benefit from being each other’s biggest trading and security partners,” he said in an X post.   

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Canadian officials say that if Trump follows through with his threat of punishing tariffs, Canada would consider slapping retaliatory tariffs on American orange juice, toilets and some steel products.