Canadian Member of Parliament Charlie Angus has made headlines with his dramatic claim that former President Donald Trump’s suggestion that Canada would be better off joining the United States constitutes “an act of war.”
The statement, delivered during an interview with the left-wing MeidasTouch Network, raises eyebrows not only for its hyperbole but also for its strategic implications—especially given the stark military imbalance between the two nations.
Angus, a longtime critic of conservative American politics, framed Trump’s remarks as a direct threat to Canadian sovereignty. “When you say that someone doesn’t have a right to have a country, that’s an act of war,” he asserted. His rhetoric, however, stands in contrast to the more measured response from U.S. officials.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, responding to the controversy, acknowledged the disagreement but dismissed any notion of hostility.
“The President has made his argument as to why he thinks Canada would be better off joining the United States for economic purposes,” Rubio explained. “There’s a disagreement between the President’s position and the position of the Canadian government. I don’t think that’s a mystery.”
Canadian MP Charlie Angus: Well, I think Marco Rubio probably needs to be sent back to school because when you say that someone doesn’t have a right to have a country, that’s an act of war. When you arbitrarily rip up trade agreements, threaten a country, and say you’re going to… pic.twitter.com/EadhvUlorw
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 19, 2025
Despite the diplomatic tone from Washington, Angus has been actively rallying opposition to American influence. His so-called “elbows up resistance tour” has taken him across Canada’s industrial centers, where he claims to be leading a movement of Canadians boycotting American businesses and travel. According to Angus, this effort is part of a broader rejection of U.S. policies, which he says have weakened America’s global standing.
Yet, the idea that Trump’s offhanded comments amount to a literal act of war seems particularly exaggerated when placed in context. The Canadian Armed Forces maintain a standing force of approximately 70,000 active personnel—just a fraction of the U.S. military’s 1.3 million. Even within diplomatic circles, the notion of Canadian-American relations descending into open conflict is seen as highly unlikely.
At a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated the administration’s stance on Canada, emphasizing that the two nations remain allies but also noting that Canadians “would be served better economically, militarily if they were to become the 51st state of America.”