Donald Trump floated the idea of turning Canada into the 51st state at a lavish dinner in Mar-a-Lago, drawing immediate criticism from Republican lawmakers. Rep. Byron Donalds warned that such a move would likely backfire, citing potential gains for Democrats in the Senate if Canada joined.
GOP Lawmakers Push Back on Trump's Proposal
An ally of Donald Trump has stated that he has directly communicated to the President-elect that he and other members of the Republican Party legislature "do not want" a notion that Trump has proposed in a number of interviews.
Representative Byron Donalds, a Republican from Florida, was considered by President Trump as a possible candidate for vice president prior to the selection of J.D. Vance. Following the selection of Vance, Donalds frequently supports the past and incoming president in interviews that are broadcast on television.
Controversial Canada Statehood Plan Raises Concerns
In recent times, however, Donalds is said to have taken a stand against Trump regarding the topic of establishing Canada as a state. Donalds believes that this contentious concept has the potential to have a significant negative impact, The Raw Story reports.
According to the reporting of Politico, this conversation was a part of a "lavish dinner" that Trump planned to host at Mar-a-Lago for Republican members who are sometimes a source of frustration for House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Lavish Mar-a-Lago Dinner Hosted by Trump
The news site said that Representative Chip Roy, a Republican from Texas, was present. Roy, a prominent member of the Republican Party, lately came into conflict with Trump, who advocated for a more devoted Republican to fight him in the upcoming primary election.
Photos of the dinner that were shared on social media indicate that other attendees included the chair of the Freedom Caucus, Andy Harris (R-Md.), the chair of the Judiciary, Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), and Representative Ralph Norman (R-South Carolina), who had threatened to prevent Johnson from becoming the speaker of the House of Representatives a week ago before changing his vote in response to pressure from President Trump.
Donalds Confronts Trump Over Senate Implications
According to reports, however, it was Donalds, a close ally of Trump's, who was the one who expressed his displeasure directly to Trump.
At the dinner, one of Trump's proposals, which stated that Canada should become the 51st state, was met with a cold welcome, according to the source. Moreover, it cites Donalds as saying that he communicated the following to Trump:
"I said, 'Mr. President, the Canadians, they are going to elect two Democrat senators; we don't want that. Territory status isn't too bad," Donalds allegedly stated in an interview conducted following the dinner.