‘I doubt if I’ll ever cross the U.S. border again in my lifetime’: Trump’s annexation talk, Hoekstra’s remarks draw fire from former MPs, political players

Former eight-term Liberal MP and chair of Canada-U.S. Interparliamentary Group Wayne Easter says he’s unsure if he will ever set foot into the U.S. ever again.

Pete Hoekstra, U.S. ambassador to Canada, pictured at the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa. The ambassador should advance his country’s interests by building relationships in Canada, not echoing U.S. President Donald Trump’s divisive rhetoric, says Wayne Easter, former Liberal MP and chair of the Canada-U.S. Interparliamentary Group.The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

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BY ABBAS RANA

October 6, 2025

United States President Donald Trump’s more recent comments last week about Canada being the 51st state, coupled with his envoy’s controversial remarks at a business conference in Banff, Alta., are drawing sharp criticism from former parliamentarians and political inside...

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