What do Montrealers think about becoming the 51st state of America and the threat of tariffs?
As U.S. tariffs threaten to cripple Canada’s economy, Montrealers weigh in on Trudeau’s weak leadership and Trump’s hardline policies. Rebel News Quebec captured the stark divide—some see Trump as a crazy man, while others blame Trudeau for selling out Canada’s future.
On January 31st, Rebel News Quebec took to the streets to gather the opinions of Montrealers about the threat of tariffs from the United States. If applied, these tariffs would be devastating for Canada's economy.
And yet, instead of protecting our borders to prevent these tariffs, as Donald Trump requested, Trudeau has decided to step down as leader—but not as prime minister. He prorogued Parliament, blocking Canadians from addressing this looming issue.
Rather than calling the election most Canadians want, he is set to hand over power to his elite friend Mark Carney in what appears to be a questionable leadership race, where everyone is clearly just licking Carney’s boots—especially the mainstream media.
We caught Mark Carney outside a campaign event! Hear what he had to say@ThevoiceAlexa Lavoie caught up with Liberal leadership contender @MarkCarney outside a campaign event in Quebec this weekend, where he offered few words as he attempted to dodge her questions.
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) January 28, 2025
This… pic.twitter.com/7U0Mk5CyD3
But let’s be clear—if Trudeau had done his job and secured our borders from the start, we wouldn’t be in this situation. Instead, the media played the victim, painting Trump as the villain, when the reality is far more complicated.
After a call with Trudeau on February 3rd, Trump decided to pause the tariffs for a month after Trudeau agreed to a series of commitments to improve border security.
I just had a good call with President Trump. Canada is implementing our $1.3 billion border plan — reinforcing the border with new choppers, technology and personnel, enhanced coordination with our American partners, and increased resources to stop the flow of fentanyl. Nearly…
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) February 3, 2025
When asked about what the residents of Montreal think about President Trump, opinions were very divided. One person said: "I mean, I'm not into politics, but I mean, looks like he's a good president, but in politics, everybody got a different mind." Meanwhile, a couple walking by had the opposite view, saying: "This man is completely crazy, he wants to take our country, never in life. An asshole, a pure asshole, my dear lady. He’s a narcissist."
Another issue that divided people was the idea of Canada becoming the 51st state of America. While some think Trump is trolling and not serious, others believe he is, in fact, serious. A man, who opposed the idea of becoming the 51st state, mentioned: "Because Canada is an independent country. We do our own thing here. We don't need them." Another expressed concerns about the burden Canada would bring: "They would not want us because we would, you know, we're a burden to them already. We're going to be a bigger burden to them going forward."
Someone else dismissed Trump’s claims as unserious: "No, I think that's just a joke on his part. He wants to get under the skin of Trudeau, and he's doing it very well."
When asked why Trudeau didn’t take action earlier to secure our border and avoid the tariffs, most people agreed on his incompetence. "He just doesn't know how to do anything right, doesn't know the economy. He doesn't know the borders. He doesn't know health care. He, he doesn't know trade. He doesn't know anything," said a woman. "He, he's a buffoon, Trudeau. I have no respect for the man," mentioned a man walking by.

Alexandra Lavoie
Quebec based Journalist
Alexa graduated with a degree in biology from Laval University. Throughout her many travels, she has seen political instability as well as corruption. While she witnessed social disorder on a daily basis, she has always been a defender of society’s most vulnerable. She’s been around the world several times, and now joins Rebel News to shed light on today’s biggest stories.
