Fox News personality Jesse Watters was criticized after exclaiming on The Five that the reason why he supports President-elect Donald Trump's proposal to annex Canada is precisely because Canadians don't want this to happen at all.
Watters' remarks are the latest development since Trump made headlines for jabbing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with remarks about Canadian statehood.
Trump, who first brought up the idea during a November meeting with Trudeau at Mar-a-Lago over Trump's threat to impose 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, has since inflamed tensions by referring to Trudeau as the governor of the “great state of Canada."
Trump also signaled he would use "economic force" instead of "military force" to annex the country, saying:
“You get rid of the artificially drawn line and you take a look at what that looks like and it would also be much better national security. Don’t forget: We basically protect Canada. Canada and the United States, that would really be something."
And Watters seems just fine with the idea of violating another country's sovereignty, making the following statements on the Fox program:
"Canada: At first I wanted it and I tried to divide it into two states and then I realized we'd be adding a Montana, basically, for the Republicans, and electorally a Texas for the Democrats. And I don't like that."
"But the fact that they [Canadians] don't want us to take over makes me want to invade. I want to quench my imperalist thirst."
Which pretty much says all you need to know about the conservative movement.
You can hear what he said in the video below.
Fox News host Jesse Watters: The fact that Canadians don't want us to take them over makes me want to invade. I want to quench my imperialist thirst. We live in the absolute dumbest time in American history
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— Republicans Against Trumpism (@rpsagainsttrump.bsky.social) January 8, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Many were disgusted by Watters' remarks and swiftly called him out.
It’s always the guys that never served and grew up with everything served to them on a silver platter that want to “conquer.” I feel so bad for his mother.
— westmassmedic.bsky.social (@westmassmedic.bsky.social) January 8, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Jesse thinks he's funny and owning the libs or something. A long time ago there was an HBO comedy show called not necessarily the news that was more legitimate than this.
— Chevron (@lachevron.bsky.social) January 8, 2025 at 11:50 AM
“Makes ME want to invade.” Big words from a man who couldn’t even win a fist fight.
— A Man Has No Name 🇺🇦 (@manhasnoname.bsky.social) January 7, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Insanity. I think Fox has been far more damaging for our country than even X or any other social media.
— gila-1.bsky.social (@gila-1.bsky.social) January 8, 2025 at 2:27 AM
Canadian tv providers should ban Fox News from their packages.
— 🇨🇦KWins (@northofcrazy.bsky.social) January 8, 2025 at 10:43 AM
If you can't see the boundary-violating grossness of Watters's statement, put it in interpersonal terms: "The fact that Canada doesn't want to marry me and be subservient to me makes me want to rape her."
— Jen Vogt-Erickson (@wokesavanna.bsky.social) January 8, 2025 at 11:21 PM
If Jesse weren’t a coward, he’d deliver this message in person in Canada.
— RevivalCare (@revivalcare.bsky.social) January 8, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Canada is a Commonwealth country whose head of state is King Charles III. How ignorant are these people? No need to answer that - their words give them away! And there are quite a few other Commonwealth countries that might take exception to this kind of talk, like Australia, New Zealand.
— cesmurray (@cesmurray.bsky.social) January 9, 2025 at 6:06 AM
The Five also virtually hosted Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who this week in response to Trump's proposal to make Canada the 51st state made a "counteroffer" to buy a few states instead, joking that Canadians could take Alaska and Minnesota off the U.S.' hands.
Watters asked Ford:
“What’s your problem with the United States absorbing Canada?”
Ford stated that he understands why Trump, being a "real estate tycoon," is making these proposals, but emphasized that Canadians have no desire to become the 51st state or anything similar. He expressed a preference for the two countries to focus on strengthening collaboration on trade issues.
But Watters doubled down, accusing Ford of criticizing and thinking less of Americans even though "everybody else in the world" would love to have American citizenship:
“I get it. You say that Americans don’t have a problem with Canadians and we don’t talk, but it seems like you have a problem with us. Because if I were a citizen of another country and a neighbor of the United States, I would consider it a privilege to be taken over by the United States of America."
"That’s what everybody else in the world wants: American citizenship. For some reason that’s repellent to you Canadians and I find that personally offensive, premier.”
To that, Ford gave the following firm response:
“You know something, Jesse? We are proud Canadians, just like there are proud Americans, and if we join together and take on the world with a great trade deal between us, I think that would be fabulous. No one can stop us.”
Ford's appearance on Fox coincided with Trudeau's remarks on Thursday, dismissing Trump's comments about turning Canada into the United States' 51st state as a diversion from the fallout of Trump's tariff threats.
Trudeau, who announced earlier this week his plans to resign as prime minister after his party selects a successor, firmly stated in an interview with CNN that Canada becoming another U.S. state was "not going to happen."
