Trump voters brush off threats to Canadian sovereignty as a joke and a distraction
The smile begins to form on Joseph Redmon's face, and there's even a little chuckle, at the first mention of Canada becoming the 51st state.
"It's a joke," he says over and over.
"It would never happen. It cannot happen. It will not happen," he says definitively, before he even hears the full question.
"He's doing that just to get under people's skin and to make them upset, that's just sort of his mantra," Redmon says. He's aware that Canadians are largely opposed to annexation, and from a practical standpoint, he thinks it would hurt Republicans in the long run, given Canada's relatively left-leaning politics.
Canadians should view it as a compliment, he says: "Every time you all hear that, you should just smile."
The retired U.S. Army Major sat down with CBC News, along with five other Republican voters in rural Kentucky, for candid conversations about President Donald Trump's return to power. The state voted for Trump in the last three elections, and in Meade County, where CBC News caught up with voters, Trump won with 75 per cent support.
Despite the rollout of his tariffs causing major backlash abroad — particularly in Canada, a repeated target of the U.S. president's annexation threats — several Trump voters who spoke with CBC News said they still support him, or even outright dismissed his recent rhetoric as a joke or distraction tactic.
WATCH | What Trump voters think of Trump's current rhetoric:
What Trump supporters think of his threats against Canada
8 hours ago
Duration 1:57
'It's a distraction'
That includes Ginny Delano, 72, a retiree, who thinks Trump is trying to taunt Canadians.
"I just think it's funny when there's a lot of people with TDS, Trump derangement syndrome," she says, referring to the derogatory term used to describe negative reactions to Trump that are seen as irrational.
"Their heads explode, and I think it's funny when he says that kind of stuff and gets a rise out of them."
Her husband, Gale Delano, 85, is more sympathetic to Canadian frustration.
"I can understand Canadians getting upset, because that's their country," he says.
"And you know, if it's America, we're going to fight for America, and Canadians are going to fight for their country."
Some say Trump's annexation talk isn't serious.
WATCH | What experts think of Trump's auto tariffs:
Why experts think Trump's new auto tariff plan 'defies logic' | About That
14 hours ago
Duration 25:38
U.S. President Donald Trump is imposing a 25 per cent tariff on vehicles not made in the U.S. Andrew Chang explains why this threat is different. Plus, is now the perfect time to buy a home in Canada?
"I think that it's — again — it's a distraction," says Mark Burnett, chair of the Meade County Republican Party.
"If the people of Canada wanted to be a 51st state, I think that would be something we would all talk about. But of course it's not like we're going to — it's not like the U.S. is going to invade Canada.
"You get that kind of rhetoric out of the media a lot of times. It's like, we're not going to do that."
Bracing for tariffs
But on Trump's tariff plan, many of the voters who spoke with CBC News believed that it will cause, at the very least, some short-term economic instability.
"It's going to have an impact on employment and jobs, but sometimes to fix what's really broken, you've got to put a little pain in it," said John Clauer, another retiree who voted for Trump.
The on-again-off-again tariff agenda has already had a negative impact on the stock market, and has made the U.S. a target for retaliation. Canada has imposed tariffs on tens of billions of dollars in U.S. goods, while some provinces have pulled American products, including alcohol, from store shelves.
Clauer, who is deeply concerned about the U.S. deficit, supports Trump's efforts to rein in spending. He views tariffs as another tool at Trump's disposal.
"I just think that people in other countries need to recognize the position that we're in. And understand that his tariffs are being used to try to rebuild the United States economy, and to bring the deficit under control."
Several Trump supporters who spoke to CBC News share this worry.
WATCH | 1st meeting between Carney and Trump:
Trump and Carney hail 'very productive' first call but tariffs are still coming
3 days ago
Duration 2:35
U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney hailed their first phone call as 'very productive' and 'cordial,' but while Trump refrained from referring to Canada as the 51st state, he did warn auto tariffs will kick in next week as planned.
"I think it's … a starting point to say we need to do something different," says Burnett, of the Meade County GOP.
"It's a little scary, of course," he admitted, but he says the measures are necessary.
"I think American businesses have gotten addicted to cheap labour abroad, and obviously that doesn't have as much to do with Canada, but it's still a mindset we have to deal with."
Support for Trump remains intact
For these voters, Trump's return to the White House, and his first two months in office are seen so far as a success.
"I think it's a bright figure," says Ginny Delano.
Her husband Gale Delano shares that sense of optimism about Trump.
"He's going at break-neck speed right now. He's doing everything he promised he would do; that's hard to say about a politician."
Doug Cornett, 81, a retired teacher and school administrator, isn't quite sure what to think about Trump's tariffs, but he's willing to give the president the benefit of the doubt.
"Right now, it might be a little bit rough, but I think it will eventually smooth out and things will be great."
And while Trump's blunt, aggressive style is not necessarily something all of his voters like, it's bearable.
"He does things his way. I'm glad I don't work for him, but I support him in trying to heal the U.S. economy," says Clauer, the retiree concerned with the deficit.
Joseph Redmon views Trump as the right leader for this moment.
"He is a disruptor.
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Toronto Sun
an hour ago
- Toronto Sun
Senate rejects effort to block arms sales over Trump's dealings with Qatar, UAE
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Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Democrats forced two procedural votes Wednesday to protest Qatar's donation of a $400-million plane to be used as Air Force One and a $2-billion investment by a UAE-backed company using a Trump family-linked stablecoin, a form of cryptocurrency. Sen. Chris Murphy, who led the Democratic effort, said the U.S. Senate should not 'grease the wheels' for Trump. 'We can do that by voting to block these two arms sales to Qatar and to the UAE — not permanently, but until both countries commit to deny Trump's requests for personal enrichment as part of the bilateral relationship,' Murphy said. Read More Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Trump's administration is still sorting out the legal arrangement for accepting a luxury jet from the Qatari royal family and how the plane would be modified so it is safe for the president, who has called the arrangement a 'no brainer' as a new Air Force One has faced delays at U.S.-based Boeing. Trump said he wouldn't fly around in the gifted Boeing 747 when his term ends, but Democrats, and even some Republicans, have strongly questioned the ethics of the arrangement. At a hearing on Wednesday, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth refused to provide details on plans for his department to accept the jet. He said budgeting and schedules for security upgrades to turn the plane into the president's aircraft are classified. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 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Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Critical minerals give China an edge in trade negotiations
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The Chinese Commerce Ministry said Saturday it had approved a 'certain number' of export licenses for rare earth products, apparently acknowledging Trump's personal request to Xi during a phone call last week. And on Wednesday, the Ganzhou-based rare-earth conglomerate JL MAG Rare-Earth Co. confirmed it had obtained some export licenses for shipments to destinations including the U.S., Europe and Southeast Asia. Experts say, however, Beijing is unlikely to do away with the permit system enabling it to control access to those valuable resources. The only scenario in which China might deregulate its critical minerals export is if the U.S. first fully removes tariffs imposed on Chinese goods as part of the trade war, said Wang Yiwei, a professor of international affairs at Renmin University, echoing the Chinese government's earlier stance. 'Without that,' he said, 'it will be difficult to blame China for continuing to strengthen its export controls.' An industry built over decades with government support In 1992, Deng Xiaoping, the leader who launched China's ascent as the world's biggest manufacturing power, famously said 'the Middle East has oil, China has rare earths,' signaling a desire to leverage access to the key minerals. Several generations later, Beijing has made its rich reserves of rare earths, a group of 17 minerals that are abundant in the earth's crust but hard, expensive and environmentally polluting to process, a key element of China's economic security. In 2019, during a visit to a rare earth processing plant in Ganzhou, Xi described rare earths as a 'vital strategic resource.' China today has an essential monopoly over 'heavy rare earths,' used for making powerful, heat-resistance magnets used in industries such as defense and electric vehicles. The country also produces around 80% of the world's tungsten, gallium and antimony, and 60% of the world's germanium -– all minerals used in the making of semiconductors, among other advanced technologies. The risks of dependency on Chinese suppliers first came into focus in 2010, when Beijing suspended rare earths exports to Japan due to a territorial dispute. The ban was lifted after about two months, but as a precaution, Japan invested in rare earths processing plants in other countries and began stockpiling the materials. Beijing's across-the-board requirement for export licenses for some critical minerals has put pressure on world electronics manufacturers and automakers. Some auto parts makers in Europe have shut down production lines due to delays in supply deliveries, according to the European Association of Automotive Suppliers. In the U.S., Tesla CEO Elon Musk said a shortage of rare earths is affecting his company's work on humanoid robots. China's critical minerals resources are dwindling In the drab industrial hub of Ganzhou, cradled by the scenic Dayu Mountains, the U.S.-China trade war is still a distant stressor. Miners and small mineral traders interviewed by The Associated Press said they are more concerned about depleting the mountains' once-abundant resources. Zhong, a tungsten factory manager in Ganzhou who would only give his last name, worked his way up to manager from a miner, but he's unsure there is a future for him and others in the industry. 'I find growing difficulties to source tungsten these days,' he said, adding that smaller mines and trading companies are slowly disappearing as the resources are dwindling. Tungsten is an ultra-hard metal used in armor-piercing ammunition, nuclear reactors and semiconductors. At least five tungsten mines have closed in the area in recent years, according to state media. 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Toronto Sun
an hour ago
- Toronto Sun
Trump booed, cheered at Kennedy Center while attending Les Miserables
Published Jun 11, 2025 • 4 minute read U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and First Lady Melania Trump arrive to attend the opening night of "Les Miserables" at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on June 11, 2025. Photo by ALEX WROBLEWSKI / AFP via Getty Images WASHINGTON — A tuxedo-wearing President Donald Trump was booed and cheered as he took his seat for the opening night of Les Miserables at the Kennedy Center, bringing his own dose of political drama to the theatrical production that was unfolding onstage. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account It was his first time attending a show there since becoming president, reflecting his focus on remaking the institution in his image while asserting more control over the country's cultural landscape. 'We want to bring it back, and we want to bring it back better than ever,' Trump said while walking down the red carpet with first lady Melania Trump. The Republican president has a particular affection for Les Miserables , the sprawling musical set in 19th-century France, and has occasionally played its songs at his events. One of them, Do You Hear the People Sing? , is a revolutionary rallying cry inspired by the 1832 rebellion against the French king. Opening night had a MAGA-does-Broadway feel. Ric Grenell, the Trump-appointed interim leader of the Kennedy Center, stood nearby as the president spoke to reporters. Attorney General Pam Bondi chatted with other guests. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took selfies with attendees. Vice-President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, were also there. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. There were more precautions than usual, given the guest list, and ticketholders had their bags searched after walking through magnetometers. Canned soda was on sale for $8, while a glass of wine cost $19. Read More Terry Gee, a bartender, bought his ticket for the show in November and didn't mind Trump's presence. It's his sixth time seeing Les Miserables and he said, 'I'm going to enjoy the show regardless.' Hannah Watkins, a nurse, only learned that Trump would be there when the Kennedy Center distributed information about extra security and she searched online to see what was happening. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I've seen a lot of famous people so far, which is exciting,' said Watkins, who had claimed a spot near the VIP entrance with her mother. 'Honestly, we just like Les Mis and are excited to be here.' However, when the lights went down and the show began, there were empty seats in the balconies and even in the orchestra section. Before Trump, presidential involvement in the Kennedy Center's affairs had been limited to naming members to the board of trustees and attending the taping of its annual honours program in the fall. But after returning to office in January, Trump stunned the arts world by firing the Kennedy Center's longtime director and board and replacing them with loyalists, who then named him as chairman. Trump promised to overhaul its programming, management and even appearance as part of an effort to put his stamp on the national arts scene. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. His latest moves have upset some of the centre's patrons and performers. In March, the audience booed the Vances after they slipped into upper-level seats to hear the National Symphony Orchestra. Trump appointed Usha to the Kennedy Center board along with Bondi, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and Fox News Channel hosts Maria Bartiromo and Laura Ingraham, among other supporters. Sales of subscription packages are said to have declined since Trump's takeover, and several touring productions, including Hamilton , have cancelled planned runs at the centre. Actor Issa Rae and musician Rhiannon Giddens scrapped scheduled appearances, and Kennedy Center consultants including musician Ben Folds and singer Renee Fleming resigned. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Understudies may have performed in some roles Wednesday night because of boycotts by Les Miserables cast members, but Trump said he wasn't bothered by anyone skipping the performance. 'I couldn't care less,' he said. Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has adopted a more aggressive posture toward the arts. The White House has taken steps to cancel millions of dollars in previously awarded federal humanities grants to arts and culture groups, and Trump's budget blueprint proposed eliminating the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Trump has also targeted Smithsonian museums by signing executive orders to restrict their funding and by attempting to fire the director of the National Portrait Gallery. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Trump characterized previous programming at the Kennedy Center as 'out of control with rampant political propaganda' and said it featured 'some very inappropriate shows,' including a 'Marxist anti-police performance' and 'lesbian-only Shakespeare.' The Kennedy Center, which is supported by government money and private donations, opened in 1971 and for decades has been seen as an apolitical celebration of the arts. It was first conceived in the late 1950s during the administration of Republican President Dwight Eisenhower, who backed a bill from the Democratic-led Congress calling for a National Culture Center. In the early 1960s, Democratic President John F. Kennedy launched a fundraising initiative, and his successor, President Lyndon B. Johnson, signed into law a 1964 bill renaming the project the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. Kennedy had been assassinated the year before. — Associated Press writers Mark Kennedy in New York and Chris Megerian in Washington contributed to this report. Celebrity Editorial Cartoons NHL Toronto Maple Leafs Columnists
