President Donald Trump's nominee for U.S. ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, distanced himself from the president’s views Thursday, affirming that Canada is a sovereign nation.
Trump has previously claimed that Canada would be better off as the United States' 51st state.
During his Senate confirmation hearing, former Rep. Hoekstra was asked by Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) if he agreed that Canada should be recognized as a sovereign state and not "jokingly referred to as the 51st state."
"Canada is a sovereign state, yes," Hoekstra replied. He was questioned shortly before Trump reiterated his negative views of Canada during an Oval Office appearance with the head of NATO.
The Republican president continues to insist that Canada is among the countries that take advantage of the United States. He also continues to erroneously frame the U.S. trade deficit with Canada – a natural resource-rich nation that provides the U.S. with commodities like oil – as a subsidy.
"We don’t need their cars. We don’t need their energy. We don’t need their lumber," Trump said. "As a state, it would be one of the great states."
Trump has irritated Canadians by suggesting their country should become the 51st state. The two countries are also embroiled in a trade dispute after Trump imposed tariffs on aluminum, steel and other goods from Canada. In response, Canada has raised tariffs on a range of American imports.
Hoekstra is a former congressman from Michigan who served as U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump’s first term.
In his opening statement, Hoekstra said that, as someone from Michigan, "I do have a special appreciation for Canada as a neighbor." He added that 36 states view Canada as their top trading partner and that he frequently interacted with Canada on trade and other issues during his time in Congress.
