Stop Laughing: Why Trump’s “Jokes” About Canada—and Everything Else—Are Deadly Serious
On February 13, 2025, standing before the press corps, President Donald Trump casually suggested that Canada should become the 51st state of the United States.
Some in the room laughed.
They laughed just as they did in 2019, when he first floated the idea of buying Greenland.
They laughed when he suggested he might never leave office.
They laughed when he joked about delaying the election.
They laughed when he claimed the 2020 election was stolen—before it even happened.
And every time, his words—no matter how absurd—set the stage for real, dangerous action.
🚨 The problem is not that Trump says unthinkable things.
🚨 The problem is that we do not take them seriously when he does.
The Strategy: Flood the Zone, Normalize the Unthinkable
Trump does not make “gaffes.”
He does not speak “off the cuff.”
He does not “say things he doesn’t mean.”
Every statement is a test.
🔹 How much can he get away with?
🔹 How much will the press downplay?
🔹 How much will his opponents waste time arguing over?
When he first said Greenland was for sale, the world scoffed. Months later, we learned his administration had been actively working to buy it.
When he first suggested not accepting election results, people dismissed it. Then, he tried to overturn the 2020 election.
Now, he is floating the idea of annexing a sovereign nation.
How many times do we need to watch this exact pattern play out before we stop assuming it’s a joke?
🚨 THIS IS HOW AUTHORITARIANISM ADVANCES. 🚨
The Role of the Press: Stop Interpreting, Start Demanding Answers
Journalists have spent nearly a decade treating Trump’s statements like religious scripture—debating their meaning, interpreting their contradictions, searching for hidden depth in nonsense.
📌 If a U.S. president suggests taking another country’s land, the job of a journalist is not to laugh.
📌 It is not to assume he didn’t mean it.
📌 It is to force an answer.
👎 Bad question: “Do you really mean Canada should be the 51st state?” (This allows him to sidestep.)
👍 Better question: “Are you formally proposing the annexation of Canada?” (This forces a definitive answer.)
👎 Bad response from media: “Trump’s offhand comment about Canada raised some eyebrows.”
👍 Better response: “Trump suggested annexing a sovereign nation—an idea historically associated with military conquest.”
Every single time Trump tests the waters, journalists have a choice:
❌ Let it slide, laugh it off, and normalize the rhetoric.
✅ Or force him to clarify and make him accountable for his words.
The media must stop treating him like an eccentric grandpa saying odd things at Thanksgiving.
He is the President of the United States.
His words have global consequences.
How Do We Stop This From Becoming Reality?
🚨 History tells us exactly what happens when dangerous rhetoric is ignored. Trump is not saying these things by accident.
If we don’t change how we react, here’s what happens next:
📌 He repeats it. Every time, it shocks people a little less.
📌 His party stops denying it. They start treating it as a debate, not an absurdity.
📌 It becomes Republican policy. Suddenly, taking foreign land is framed as “strong leadership.”
📌 It moves from joke to reality.
This is not speculation. We have seen it over and over again.
Here’s how we fight back:
1️⃣ Stop Laughing
Ask yourself: If Putin said he wanted to annex Canada, would we treat it as a joke?
2️⃣ Demand That Leaders Address It Seriously
Every member of Congress must be put on record:
• “Do you support or condemn Trump’s statement that Canada should be part of the U.S.?”
3️⃣ Track the Pattern
If history has taught us anything, it’s that Trump’s words are not just words. They are often a soft launch of an actual plan.
Every time he makes a “joke,” document it. Archive it. Share it.
• What seems unthinkable today may be tomorrow’s executive order.
4️⃣ Refuse to Debate the Meaning of Nonsense
Instead of arguing over what Trump “meant,” demand that he clarify or own his words.
The Bottom Line: Take Trump at His Word
If the last decade has proven anything, it’s this: When Trump says something outrageous, assume he means it.
📌 He said he wouldn’t accept election results—he didn’t.
📌 He said he wanted to buy Greenland—his administration tried.
📌 He said he’d go after political opponents—he’s doing it.
📌 He’s now talking about taking Canada—why should we assume he doesn’t mean it?
No more laughing. No more “he didn’t mean it.” No more normalizing.
It is not funny. It is not a distraction.
🚨 It is a warning. 🚨
Call to Action: Share, Speak Out, and Demand Accountability
This cannot be another forgotten moment.
📢 Share this. Write your own response. Demand that media and politicians take this seriously.
💡 If we don’t push back now, what will we be normalizing tomorrow?