Relations between Washington and Ottawa have deteriorated amid a trade war and Donald Trump’s repeated references to Canada as “the 51st state”
The White House has celebrated Team USA’s gold-medal victory over Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics by sharing an image of a bald eagle mauling a goose, the birds symbolizing the two nations. Tensions between the two neighbors have been elevated due to a trade dispute and US President Donald Trump’s repeated references to Canada as “the 51st state.”
The post, which went up on Sunday, was referring to the US’ 2–1 overtime win in the gold-medal game. It also included an embedded year-old tweet from then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reading: “You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game.”
Trudeau had made the remark after Canada’s 3-2 overtime victory over the US at the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off in a fight-marred game that saw loud booing of the American national anthem by Canadian fans.
Separately, Trump posted his own spin on the win to Truth Social: a one-minute AI-generated clip showing a suit-clad, visibly younger version of himself scoring two goals against Canada – before being sent to the penalty box for punching a Canadian player – all set to Survivor’s ‘Eye of the Tiger’.
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US-Canada tensions have escalated significantly over the past several months as Trump has imposed or threatened to impose tariffs on Ottawa while on numerous occasions referring to Canada as “the 51st state.” A poll by the Pew Research Center last summer suggested that 64% of Canadians held a negative view of their country’s traditional ally, with the overwhelming majority describing Trump as “arrogant” and “dangerous.”
Relations deteriorated further in January, when the Financial Times reported that Trump officials had on several occasions met with the Alberta Prosperity Project, a separatist group seeking to split the oil-rich western province from Canada.
In response, Prime Minister Mark Carney said he expected Washington to “respect Canadian sovereignty.” The White House later sought to downplay the meetings, saying that “no support or commitments were conveyed.”
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