Trump claims Canada 'considering' offer of free Golden Dome in exchange for becoming 51st state

U.S. President Donald Trump purported on Tuesday that Canada was "considering" giving up its statehood in exchange for protection by the proposed "Golden Dome" missile defense system at no cost, despite Canadian officials repeatedly stating that the country is not for sale.

"I told Canada, which very much wants to be part of our fabulous Golden Dome System, that it will cost $61 Billion Dollars if they remain a separate, but unequal, Nation, but will cost ZERO DOLLARS if they become our cherished 51st State," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

"They are considering the offer!" he claimed.

Trump has threatened in recent months to annex Canada, an idea fiercely rebuked by Canadian officials and their citizens.

KING CHARLES II VISITS CANADA AS SHOW OF SUPPORT FOR COUNTRY COVETED BY TRUMP

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, who secured an election win last month in part due to Canadians' opposition to Trump's wish to make the country part of the U.S., told Trump earlier this month that his country "won't be for sale, ever."

King Charles III, who is recognized as Canada's sovereign, gave a speech before the Canadian Parliament on Tuesday in which he appeared to reject Trump's idea of purchasing the North American country and making it the 51st U.S. state.

"Canadians can give themselves far more than any foreign power on any continent can ever take away," he said. "And that, by staying true to Canadian values, Canada can build new alliances and a new economy that serves all Canadians."

As for the "Golden Dome," Trump announced last week that the U.S. had officially selected the architecture for the missile defense system that would create a network of satellites to detect, track and potentially intercept incoming ballistic missiles.

The U.S. president said the project would cost $175 billion to build and that it was expected to be "fully operational" within three years. He also said Canada would be included in its safety net.

"Canada has called us, and they want to be a part of it. So we’ll be talking to them; they want to have protection also," Trump said at the time.

CARNEY SAYS CANADA IS NOT FOR SALE, TRUMP REPLIES, 'NEVER SAY NEVER'

Carney’s office said last week that there were "active discussions" between the U.S. and Canada on current and new security programs, including the "Golden Dome."

"Canadians gave the prime minister a strong mandate to negotiate a comprehensive new security and economic relationship with the United States," a spokesperson for Carney told BBC News.

"To that end, the prime minister and his ministers are having wide-ranging and constructive discussions with their American counterparts. These discussions naturally include strengthening [North American Aerospace Defense Command] and related initiatives such as the Golden Dome," the spokesperson continued.

Macron dismisses viral moment with wife as 'joking around' after disinformation claims backfire

French President Emmanuel Macron allegedly argued that video images showing his wife Brigitte pushing him away with both hands in the face on Monday were a pro-Russian disinformation campaign.

"Brigitte's hands #Macron brought to the PR's face at #Hanoï : the Élysée initially denied the veracity of the images, suggesting a video generated by AI and relayed by pro-Russian accounts, before finally authenticating the sequence and evoking a moment of "complicity," a post from the French outlet, Brèves de presse, claimed.

Although Macron’s office initially denied the authenticity of the images, The Associated Press later confirmed them as genuine. 

EMMANUEL MACRON'S WIFE SEEN SHOVING HIM IN THE FACE IN VIRAL CLIP AS FRANCE'S FIRST COUPLE ARRIVES IN VIETNAM

His office has continued to downplay the incident following the initial attempt to suggest a pro-Russia disinformation campaign.

"It was a moment where the president and his wife were decompressing one last time before the start of the trip by horsing around. It’s a moment of complicity. It was all that was needed to give ammunition to the conspiracy theorists," his office said.

Macron has also told reporters that the couple were just joking around.

"We are squabbling and, rather, joking with my wife," he said, adding that the incident was being overblown into "a sort of geo-planetary catastrophe."

FRANCE’S MACRON MEETS WITH TRUMP AT THE WHITE HOUSE

Video of the incident showed a uniformed man opening the plane door as Macron was seen wearing a suit and standing in the doorway. Brigitte Macron's arms – in red sleeves – could be seen reaching out and pushing Macron away, with one hand covering his mouth and part of his nose while the other was on his jaw. The French president turned his head away but suddenly noticed news cameras capturing the moment. He quickly smiled and waved before exiting the door frame.

Macron and his wife later disembarked the stairs of the aircraft together. The French president offered his arm, though the first lady – seen wearing a red blazer – did not take hold of it. 

The video quickly went viral and was mainly promoted by accounts that have been accused of being habitually hostile to the French leader.

"For three weeks … there are people who have watched videos and think I shared a bag of cocaine, that I had a fight with the Turkish president, and that now I’m having a domestic dispute with my wife," said Macron. "None of these are true. Everyone needs to calm down."

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