Washington, DC [US], April 29 : United States President Donald Trump wished the Canadians "good luck" amid the elections and urged them once again to join the United States as its 51st state.
Further, Trump claimed that the US' spending toward Canada amounts to "hundreds of billions of dollars a year" and argues that such financial support is no longer justifiable unless Canada becomes a US state.
Sharing the post on his social media 'Truth Social', Trump wrote, "Good luck to the Great people of Canada. Elect the man who has the strength and wisdom to cut your taxes in half, increase your military power, for free, to the highest level in the World, have your Car, Steel, Aluminum, Lumber, Energy, and all other businesses, QUADRUPLE in size, WITH ZERO TARIFFS OR TAXES, if Canada becomes the cherished 51st. State of the United States of America. "
"No more artificially drawn line from many years ago. Look how beautiful this land mass would be. Free access with NO BORDER. ALL POSITIVES WITH NO NEGATIVES. IT WAS MEANT TO BE! America can no longer subsidise Canada with the Hundreds of Billions of Dollars a year that we have been spending in the past. It makes no sense unless Canada is a State!" he added.
Voting is in full swing in Canada, as voters pick the party and prime minister they see as best fit to respond to Trump's tariffs, economic uncertainty and an affordable housing crisis, CNN reported.
Voters will decide whether to grant interim Prime Minister Mark Carney a full four-year mandate or give the Conservative Party a turn at the wheel after more than nine years of Liberal Party government.
According to CNN, Canadians began casting their ballots in the country's easternmost province, Newfoundland and Labrador, at 8:30 a.m. local time (7 a.m. ET) on Monday.
Though Canadians have a diverse array of parties, the main contest is between the incumbent Liberals, led by Carney since March, and the Conservative opposition, led by longtime parliamentarian Pierre Poilievre.
Carney became prime minister in March after his predecessor, Justin Trudeau, resigned from office in the wake of dire polls that suggested a stunning loss to come in a federal election, as per CNN.
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