'Best way to insult Canadians': How Trump cracked a questionable code

Systemic Error Podcast · Oct 16, 2026 · 7m

What happened

AlterNet reports that President Donald Trump’s tariffs, repeated description of Canada as a potential “51st state,” and involvement favoring Alberta separatism have intensified Canadian anger toward the United States. Carleton University professor Stephen M. Saideman told the outlet that the annexation rhetoric is especially offensive because it denies Canadians a distinct national identity.

Saideman argued that anti-Canadian politics lacks a broad American constituency and is unlikely to survive Trump as a major political cause. But he expects continued coercion during Trump’s…