President Donald Trump intensified his campaign to annex Canada on Tuesday, declaring that the northern neighbor is "considering" becoming the 51st U.S. state to gain free access to his proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense system.

The provocative offer, posted on Truth Social, came hours after King Charles III delivered a pointed rebuke of Trump’s annexation efforts during a rare address to Canada’s parliament.

Trump laid out a stark choice for Canada, stating it would face a $61 billion price tag to join the Golden Dome program as a separate nation but could access it at no cost by surrendering sovereignty.

"I told Canada, which very much wants to be part of our fabulous Golden Dome System, that it will cost $61 Billion Dollars if they remain a separate, but unequal, Nation, but will cost ZERO DOLLARS if they become our cherished 51st State,” Trump wrote. "They are considering the offer!"

Canadian officials have not publicly responded to Trump’s latest claim, but Prime Minister Mark Carney has consistently rejected any notion of joining the U.S.

Carney, who assumed office after a federal election victory in 2025, campaigned heavily on preserving Canadian sovereignty against Trump’s overtures.

His office confirmed last week that discussions with the U.S. on security programs, including Golden Dome, are ongoing, but framed them as efforts to strengthen existing partnerships like the North American Aerospace Defense Command, a bi-national US and Canadian organization responsible for aerospace warning, aerospace control, and maritime warning for North America. 

"Canadians gave the prime minister a strong mandate to negotiate a comprehensive new security and economic relationship with the United States," said Audrey Champoux, Carney’s spokesperson, to the BBC. "These discussions naturally include strengthening NORAD and related initiatives such as the Golden Dome."

In his address to Canada’s parliament, King Charles underscored the nation’s resilience amid global instability, a clear swipe at Trump’s pressure tactics.

Speaking in French, he warned of unprecedented challenges.

"We must face reality. Since the Second World War, our world has never been more dangerous and unstable. Canada is facing challenges that, in our lifetimes, are unprecedented,” King Charles said.

"Many Canadians are feeling anxious and worried about the drastically changing world around them," he continued, invoking Canada’s national anthem to affirm its status as "strong and free."

In 2024, Trump began referring to Canada as the "51st state" and mockingly called then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau "Governor Trudeau."

The rhetoric escalated after Trudeau’s Liberal Party lost the 2025 federal election to Carney’s Conservatives, who capitalized on public outrage over Trump’s comments.

Carney, a former Bank of Canada governor, has maintained a firm stance against annexation, telling Trump during a May 3 Oval Office meeting that "Canada is not for sale."

Undeterred, Trump responded with a smirk, saying, "Time will tell."

Economically, Trump has wielded tariffs to pressure Canada, imposing 25% levies on Canadian steel, aluminum, and cars, as well as non-USMCA-compliant imports, in 2025.

Despite more amicable personal relations with Carney compared to Trudeau, Trump has kept annexation on the table, telling Carney during their May meeting, "Never say never. I’ve had many, many things that were not doable and ended up being doable."

The Golden Dome, a $175 billion missile defense initiative unveiled by Trump in May 2025, is central to his latest gambit.

Described as a space-based network of satellites to detect and intercept ballistic missiles, the system is projected to be operational by 2029.

Trump claimed last week that Canada "called us" to join the program, saying, "They want to have protection also."

However, the Congressional Budget Office estimates the project’s long-term costs could reach $542 billion over 20 years, prompting Trump to request an initial $25 billion from Congress.

The program’s ambitious scope, including potential space-based weapons, marks a significant escalation in U.S. defense strategy.

Trump’s annexation rhetoric is set to face further scrutiny when he attends the G7 summit in Canada next month, where public protests are expected over his threats to Canadian sovereignty.

Meanwhile, Canada’s economy is wobbling. Canada is already tethered to the U.S.— economically, militarily, culturally.

Over 75% of its exports go to the U.S., accounting for 18% of Canada’s GDP and supporting over 2.4 million jobs. The U.S., in contrast, relies on Canada for only 1% of its GDP.

The county's military is stretched thin, and they’re staring down a world where China and Russia aren’t playing nice.

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