Trump threats and Liberal leadership: B.C. premier responds to hot-button issues

B.C. Premier David Eby was asked about pressing issues emerging in international and national politics during his first news conference of 2025 Tuesday.

Top of mind for reporters and politics-watchers as Eby took to the podium was U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's threat to use "economic force" to make Canada the 51st state.

“Because Canada and the United States, that would really be something – you get rid of that artificially drawn line and you take a look at what that looks like,” said Trump.

Eby, echoing the sentiments of other Canadian leaders, roundly dismissed the possibility.

“Canadians are proud, I’m proud to be a Canadian - we are not going to become the 51st state,” said Eby.

A day after announcing plans to resign, Prime Minister Trudeau on Tuesday posted online saying, “There isn't a snowballs chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States.”

While the prospect of being annexed by the United States is being rejected as an impossibility, one B.C. political scientist says the comments – along with tariff threats – are cause for significant concern.

“Canada is obviously facing a grave situation with Donald Trump, even to the point of calling it an existential crisis,” said Hamish Telford, a professor at the University of the Fraser Valley.

The escalating war of words comes two weeks before Trump's inauguration.

Eby, while not attending the inauguration, is travelling to Washington, D.C., with other premiers with a plan to confront the tariff issue head-on.

"(We plan) to make our case to decision makers in the United States to make our case that the proposed tariffs from the president of the United States will mean a significant increase in the prices for Americans around things like homes,” he said.

Adding to the uncertainty of the political moment, Parliament is being prorogued until March 24, leaving the fate of various bills and federal funding for B.C. programs potentially up in the air.

“But I’ll be blunt and frank and say that we saw a lot of announcements of funding that weren't delivered to British Columbia,” Eby said.

While speculation swirls over who will be Trudeau's successor, former B.C. premier Christy Clark is rumoured as one potential candidate.

Asked about her as a possible leader of the Liberal party and prime minister, Eby said Clark was someone with whom he’d butted heads, but who would be happy to see in the race.

“Ms. Clark will bring the discussion of B.C. issues, and a B.C. focus that other candidates will have to respond to,” said Eby.