Podcaster Joe Rogan said Tuesday that, along with Canada, the United States should seek to absorb Mexico.
Sharing a screenshot of a Truth Social post from President-elect Donald Trump, on making Canada the 51st state, Rogan said on his Instagram page that the U.S. should "let Mexico in too."
Newsweek reached out to the Trump-Vance transition team for comment via email Tuesday afternoon.
Why It Matters
Rogan hosts one of the most-listened-to podcasts in the world and is seen as an influencer, particularly among Republicans and his sizable young adult male audience. His post adds to discourse around the U.S. potentially seeking to expand during Trump's second White House term, although it was not immediately clear whether he was being serious or not.
What To Know
Trump shared a post Monday afternoon, saying that many Canadians liked the idea of becoming the 51st state, adding that the country could not keep supporting its neighbor financially. His post came shortly after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation.
"If Canada merged with the U.S., there would be no tariffs, taxes would go way down, and they would be totally secure from the threat of the Russian and Chinese ships that are constantly surrounding them. Together, what a great nation it would be!!!" Trump posted.
The idea of expanding the U.S. has been talked about among Trump, his son Donald Trump Jr., and other Republicans in recent weeks. Trump has also said he would like to purchase Greenland from Denmark and take back the Panama Canal into U.S. control.
At a press conference Tuesday, at Mar-a-Lago, the President-elect added to his list of potential foreign policy moves, by stating that he would be moving to rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.
Rogan's sharing of Monday's post and commenting that Mexico should join the states comes as U.S.'s southern neighbor has been threatened with tariffs over what role the incoming administration says it has played in the immigration crisis Trump has promised to tackle.
A number of Canadians commented on the podcaster's post, saying they were proud of their independence and that, despite any failures of Trudeau's government, that did not mean joining the U.S. was a better option.
What People Are Saying
Adam Chapnick, deputy director of education at Canadian Forces College, in a statement to Newsweek: "Mr. Trudeau's political situation is, I think, unique to Canada. The Mexican president, for example, who is more popular at home and has a fresh mandate from Mexican voters, is not facing similar turmoil even though the tariffs would be even worse for her country than they would be for Canada."
Canadian businessman Kevin O'Leary, speaking on Fox News about Canada: "What this could be is the beginning of an economic union. Think about the power of combining two economies, erasing the border between Canada and the United States and putting all that resource up to the northern borders where China and Russia are knocking on the doors. Give a common currency, figure out taxes across the board, get everything trading both ways."
What's Next
The likelihood of Mexico becoming part of the United States appears to be slim, with many academics and lawmakers dismissing the idea over the decades. As for the other ideas Trump himself has floated, including trying to add Canada, Greenland or the Panama Canal, these have also been met with resistance though he did explore options for Greenland during his previous term and could do again once he takes office on January 20.
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