Jagmeet Singh, leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party, called on Wednesday for President Donald Trump to be uninvited from the upcoming G7 summit in Alberta.
Singh’s remarks come in response to Trump’s repeated suggestions since returning to office in January that the U.S. should annex Canada and make it the 51st state. His comments, along with his support for tariffs on Canadian imports, have strained relations between Washington and Ottawa.
Speaking at the Conseil des Relations Internationales de Montréal, Singh argued that Trump’s presence at the summit in June would be inappropriate given his statements about Canada.
"Why should we invite someone who threatens our sovereignty and economic security? Why should we welcome someone who undermines allies and global stability? And why would we allow a convicted criminal into our country?" Singh asked.
He urged world leaders to use the summit as an opportunity to strategize on how to "stand together against Donald Trump."
Singh also criticized Trump’s recent remarks blaming Ukraine for Russia’s invasion, which recently marked its third anniversary. Trump has referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a "dictator" and called for elections in Ukraine, a stark contrast to the Biden administration’s strong support for Kyiv.
"We are only a month into Donald Trump’s presidency, and already we see a shift in the global order toward greater instability," Singh said. "In less than a month, he has cozied up to dictators like Vladimir Putin while insulting our ally, President Zelensky."
Singh, whose New Democratic Party leans left, has long been critical of Trump. In January, he posted on X: "I have a message for Donald Trump. We’re good neighbors. But if you pick a fight with Canada, there will be consequences."
However, not everyone agrees with Singh’s position. University of Ottawa professor Thomas Juneau argued on X that Canada should still invite Trump, saying, "Disinviting him would be the typical Canadian foreign policy move—makes you feel good, but achieves nothing. Not the time for that anymore. Invite & engage him."
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also addressed Trump’s annexation comments earlier this month, dismissing the idea outright. "Let’s be very clear: Canada becoming the 51st state is a nonstarter. It’s never going to happen," Trudeau said. "But we do have to take the president’s words seriously and factor them into our approach as we continue to stand up for Canada."
With new U.S. tariffs set to take effect next month, tensions between the two countries are likely to persist in the coming weeks. However, most experts believe the idea of Canada joining the U.S. is unrealistic and lacks broad support on either side of the border.
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