A top Washington official reportedly wants to negotiate a new border as Trump's 51st state taunts continue
Image by: Gage Skidmore, flickr
A senior White House official has reportedly raised the prospect of redrawing the Canada-US border, fuelling concerns over escalating tensions between the two nations.
According to British newspaper The Telegraph, Peter Navarro, one of Donald Trump’s closest advisers, has been advocating for changes to the border as part of a broader effort to reshape US-Canada relations.
Navarro, a long-time Trump ally, has allegedly been pushing US negotiators to discuss border revisions with their Canadian counterparts, a move described to the Telegraph as “just crazy and dangerous” by a source close to negotiations.
Canada has reportedly instructed representatives involved in trade discussions to pause negotiations with the US until Jameson Greer and Howard Lutnick, two incoming members of Trump’s cabinet viewed as less extreme than Navarro, are officially confirmed by the Senate.
In addition to proposing changes to the border – a suggestion in line with Donald Trump’s repeated claims that Canada should become the US’s 51st state – Navarro has also suggested expelling Canada from the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, a move that would fundamentally alter one of the world's most significant security networks.
With economic concerns dominating, Dwight Trafford, principal broker at Rock Capital Mortgage, warns Canada may need to shift spending away from housing if tensions escalate.https://t.co/LRFQMKcH6d
— Canadian Mortgage Professional Magazine (@CMPmagazine) February 25, 2025
His growing influence within Trump’s administration has left some US officials uneasy, with sources suggesting that his unchecked authority may be temporary.
“Peter Navarro is in post, and he is taking advantage of being there by himself with no one else in post to challenge his extreme positions,” the source said. “This will change as soon as the many other trade and economic positions are filled. By default of no competition, he is temporarily ruling the roost.”
Trump also confirmed Thursday he was pushing ahead with huge tariffs against Canada and Mexico, with the 25% levies on Canadian imports set to take effect on March 4.
The president cited his oft-repeated – and much-disputed – concerns about the flow of illegal drugs across the border from Canada as the reason for the move.
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