Canada Prepared for Potential U.S. Invasion, Prime Minister Confirms

Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed this week that his government had prepared for the possibility of the United States launching an invasion of Canada. Carney described the planning as a matter of "risk management" for "extreme tail risk," stating it would be "irresponsible not to" consider such scenarios amid escalating trade tensions between the two nations.

Carney made the remarks during an interview with The New York Times while in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. His comments come nearly a month after Ottawa imposed retaliatory tariffs, ranging from 15% to 50%, on more than $20 billion worth of American goods, including steel, aluminum, lumber, and milk. This action followed U.S. duties of 50% on approximately $28 billion of Canadian products such as beer, cheese, and electronics.

Following Canada's retaliatory tariffs, President Trump reportedly barred Canadian products from federal contracts, renamed Lake Ontario to "Lake America," and threatened to increase U.S. tariffs on Canadian vehicles and auto parts starting January 1.

In response to the earlier U.S. duties in August, Carney had stated, "We were attacked. You’re at war when you get attacked. We got attacked. That’s fine. We’ve got the reserves. We’ve got the resilience. We’ve got the plan. We’ve got the focus. We will respond."

The relationship between the two countries has been strained under the previous Canadian administration, with President Trump repeatedly suggesting Canada could become the 51st state. The nations share the world's longest undefended border.