After Donald Trump vowed to make Canada the 51st US state, one man from Alberta pledged his support for the US president, despite him starting a bitter trade war with the neighbouring country. Don Casselman, with an American flag around his neck, took an oath of loyalty to the US government, which he thinks can save his country. He told The Telegraph: “I hereby declare an oath that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all fidelity to any foreign prince.
“I take this obligation freely, so help me God.” The 78-year-old former industrial electrician appeared to be close to tears after his pledge, telling the outlet that the words “go to your heart”. He said, “I feel very strongly about it”, while standing in front of an American flag at a bison ranch in the province.
Mr Casselman feared the Canadian military is not strong enough to defend the second largest country in the world against adversaries like Russia and China.
He argued the solution is to join the US, which has the third largest active military in the world after China and India, with 1.39 million personnel. By contrast, Canada’s active military personnel stands at just 68,000.
The great-grandfather urged the US president to come to the bison ranch, which is now a meeting place for like-minded separatists.
He said: “I want President Trump to come and visit us. I want my children to understand what it means to be free.”
However, Mr Casselman is very much in the minority, with approximately 90% of Canadians wanting to remain separate from the US, according to a poll by the Angus Reid institute.
The new prime minister, Mark Carney, also shares this view, calling it “crazy” to suggest that Canada would ever give up its sovereignty.
He said: “America is not Canada. And Canada never, ever will be part of America in any way, shape or form.”
This comes after Mr Trump slapped a 25% tariff on Canadian steel and aluminium, which he said would go away if Canada agreed to join the US.
Canada quickly imposed reltaliatory 25% tariffs on he same metals, computers, sports equipment, and other products.
Mr Carney said he would be willing to negotiate with Mr Trump in ways that do no involve becoming the 51st state, taking “a common approach, a much more comprehensive approach for trade”.
