Chrystia Freeland says she's running for PM to stop Trump from invading Canada

Former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister and Liberal Party leadership hopeful Chrystia Freeland shared a story in a post on X on Monday, as well as during the Liberal leadership debate. "A few weeks ago in Saskatoon, I met a four-year-old girl named Ari. She asked me, ‘Can you stop Trump from invading Canada?’” Freeland said.

“Ari is a smart little girl. She’s asking the right question. I'm running to lead the Liberal Party and to be Canada’s next Prime Minister because Donald Trump poses the gravest threat we have faced since the Second World War.”

President Trump has previously stated that he has no intention of invading Canada, instead emphasizing economic measures to deal with the country. 

Last month, Trump was asked if he was considering using military force against Panama and Greenland in his other expansionist endeavours, but stated clearly that he was not considering military force to annex Canada.

“No,” he said when asked. “Economic force. Because Canada and the United States, that would really be something. You get rid of that artificially drawn line and take a look at what that looks like, and it would also be much better financial security,” Trump said, claiming that the U.S. “basically protects” the country. “Here’s the problem with Canada… But we’re spending hundreds of billions a year to protect it,” he continued.

Despite this, Freeland’s post echoes remarks made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who told Canadians that Trump’s comments about annexing Canada should be taken seriously, even calling them a “real thing.”

"Mr. Trump has it in mind that the easiest way to do it is by absorbing our country, and it is a real thing," Trudeau told more than 100 business leaders following his opening address on economic issues related to Canada’s trade relationship with the U.S.

According to a CBC report, Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association, explained that the prime minister suggested Trump’s annexation rhetoric is driven by Canada’s rich mineral resources.

"I think the prime minister did well to articulate to serious people in this country that Donald Trump is serious about coveting those resources," said Volpe, a member of Trudeau's Council on Canada-U.S. Relations.

Trump’s annexation rhetoric dates back to at least November, when Trudeau and senior cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc visited Mar-a-Lago for discussions after Trump threatened tariffs on Canadian goods. At the time, LeBlanc suggested Trump was joking.