US President-elect Donald Trump threatened Canada with 25% tariffs and even quipped about a merger of the nations. The North American neighbors have strong economic links, so a trade dispute would have a heavy impact.

In response, Justin Trudeau, who is reportedly stepping down as Canada's prime minister, recently wrote on X: "There isn't a snowball's chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States." Trump-ally Elon Musk then responded: "Girl, you're not the governor of Canada anymore, so doesn't matter what you say."

Support for American statehood was the strongest among backers of the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC). Twenty-one percent of CPC supporters said they favored becoming a U.S. state, while 73% said they wanted Canada to remain independent.