As Canadians Vote, Trump Again Mentions "51st State of the United States"

Canada's 45th federal House of Commons election is being held on the 28th, where voters will elect 343 federal members of parliament. The party winning the majority of House seats will become the ruling party, and its leader will become the Prime Minister.

On Canada's election day, U.S. President Trump once again posted on social media, suggesting that if Canada "becomes America's precious 51st state," it would enjoy "zero tariffs."

Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre responded on social media platform X: "President Trump, don't meddle in our election. Canada is forever proud, sovereign, and independent, and we will never become the 51st state."

Canada's caretaker Prime Minister Carney wrote on X: "We are Canada, we are in charge here."

Preliminary results are expected to start being released after 7 PM local time on the 28th (which is 7 AM Malaysian time on the 29th).

According to Elections Canada, more than 28.5 million registered voters have been recorded, with about 7.3 million having voted in advance. The election results are expected to be announced on the 29th.

Polls indicate that the Liberal Party, led by Carney, is ahead of its main opponent, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre.

House seats increased to 343

This election is the first after the Canadian federal House of Commons seats increased from 338 to 343. Trump has instigated trade wars with several countries, including Canada, and has repeatedly suggested that Canada should become the 51st state of the United States. This action has faced widespread opposition in Canada, with Canadian public opinion suggesting that it may prompt many Canadian voters to cast their votes for the party deemed most capable of dealing with Trump.

In Canada's last five federal elections, the Conservative Party won the previous two, while the Liberal Party won the last three. This election will also be a showdown between these two parties. According to polling data, after the Liberal Party turned around a significant 20-point deficit from the beginning of the year, it has maintained a few percentage points lead.

According to Canadian law, federal House of Commons elections are held every 4 years. As per the regular schedule, the 45th federal House of Commons election should be held in October 2025. On March 23, Canadian Prime Minister Carney announced the dissolution of parliament and the early holding of the federal House of Commons election. Before dissolution, the parliament had 152 seats held by the Liberal Party, 120 by the Conservative Party, and 33 by the Bloc Québécois.