Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says President Donald Trump’s talk of making Canada the 51st state is “a real thing” and is linked to the country’s rich natural resources.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in a talk with business leaders, said Canada’s wealth of critical minerals are behind Mr. Trump’s comments about making its northern neighbor a U.S. state.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a business gathering on Friday that US President Donald Trump’s threat to annex Canada “is a real thing,” two Canadian business leaders who were at the meeting confirmed to CNN.

Trump had suggested repeatedly, both in posts on his social media platform Truth Social and in remarks to reporters, that Canada could become a US state instead to avoid the tariffs. He has also referred to the country's prime minister as "Governor Trudeau".

Trudeau told business and labor leaders that he didn’t believe Trump was joking about wanting to annex Canada, citing the country’s minerals and energy resources.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tells business leaders at the Canada-U.S. Economic Summit in Toronto that U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to annex Canada 'is a real thing.'

TORONTO - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday said U.S. President Donald Trump's talk about absorbing Canada \"is a real thing\" and is linked to the country's rich natural resources, a government source said.

President Donald Trump’s talk about absorbing Canada “is a real thing” and is linked to the country’s rich natural resources, the prime minister said.

Donald Trump is not joking when he says he'd like to make Canada the 51st state, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday, adding that the U.S. president's annexation plans are