House Republican Floats Making Alberta ’51st State’ if It Secedes: ‘Tremendous Oil Reserves There’

Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) suggested the United States should make Alberta its “51st state” if the oil-rich province breaks away from Canada, jumping on President Donald Trump’s repeated tease of the nation’s northern neighbor.

The House Republican floated the prospect during an interview on Newsmax’s National Report Monday morning while defending Trump’s aggressive approach toward Canada and other U.S. allies.

Asked whether Trump’s pressure campaign could instead help progressive Canadian politicians rally voters by portraying themselves as standing up to the U.S. president, Harris pointed to Alberta’s separatist movement.

“Well, look, the fact of the matter is Alberta is talking about seceding from Canada,” the lawmaker said, adding: “We should make it the 51st state. Tremendous oil reserves there.”

Albertans are due to vote October 19 on whether the province should remain part of Canada or proceed toward a later, binding referendum on independence. Separatists argue that Alberta’s vast oil and gas resources have been constrained by federal policies imposed from Ottawa, particularly environmental rules affecting pipelines and energy development.

Harris continued: “The socialism doesn’t work in Western Canada. A lot of those provinces don’t want to be associated with Ottawa. And the president’s taking advantage of it.”

Harris had earlier praised Trump for challenging what he described as an “unlevel playing field” between the U.S. and NATO allies and other countries, casting the president’s trade war with Canada as part of the same push.

His remarks came one day after Trump ratcheted up that dispute, demanding that Canadian companies move their headquarters and production operations to the United States if they want to escape his administration’s incoming tariffs.

The new duties, scheduled to take effect in 2027, include tariffs reaching as high as 50% on some Canadian products, including dairy and lumber. Canada has retaliated with tariffs targeting American steel, aluminum and other exports after trade negotiations between the two countries collapsed.

Trump has repeatedly suggested that Canada itself should become America’s 51st state, while accusing the longtime U.S. ally of taking advantage of Washington on trade.

Watch above via Newsmax.

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