Vance calls Canada a U.S. state in ‘Freudian slip’ as trade fallout grows

U.S. Vice President JD Vance made a notable gaffe on Monday, referring to Canada as a "U.S. state" during a political event in Maine. He quickly corrected himself, calling it a "Freudian slip," but the remark came as he strongly criticized Canada's trade and defense policies.

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We have to remember Canada is a state, sorry, Freudian slip.

Vance's criticism focused on Canada's perceived military underinvestment and its trade practices, particularly tariffs on U.S. products. "Canada is a country that has underinvested in its military, that quite literally would get invaded by a foreign country were it not for the umbrella of protection provided by the United States of America," Vance stated. He questioned why Canada, in return for this protection, imposes "ridiculous tariffs and other non-tariff duties on Maine products." He vowed that the U.S. would "fight back against unfair trade practices, whether it's coming from China or Canada."

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Canada is a country that has underinvested in its military, that quite literally would get invaded by a foreign country were it not for the umbrella of protection provided by the United States of America.

The vice president's comments followed a breakdown in trade negotiations, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney reiterating that Canada would not return to talks unless the U.S. acted fairly and respected its sovereignty. Vance, however, suggested that Canada was the one acting unfairly. He also accused Canada of acting as a "backdoor" for Chinese goods to enter the North American market, bypassing U.S. tariffs on China, and treating Chinese goods more favorably than those from Maine.

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And so how does Canada actually respond to that, by treating the people of Maine fairly? No, they apply ridiculous tariffs and other non-tariff duties on Maine products coming into Canada.

This incident occurred amidst a backdrop of increasingly sharp rhetoric from the Trump administration towards Canada. President Donald Trump had previously posted on social media that Canada "wants the benefits of being a State, without being one," and threatened increased tariffs. Trump also referred to Prime Minister Carney as "Governor," a term he had previously used for former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, signaling a shift in the relationship.

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We’re sick of that. We’re actually going to fight back against unfair trade practices, whether it’s coming from China or Canada.