President choice to be U.S. ambassador to Canada on Thursday said that America鈥檚 northern neighbor is a sovereign state, showing some daylight with Trump on the issue. The president has insisted that .
Former Rep. Pete Hoekstra was asked by at his Senate confirmation hearing by Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., whether he agreed that Canada is a sovereign state and shouldn't be 鈥渆ven jokingly referred to as the 51st state.鈥�
鈥淐anada is a sovereign state, yes,鈥� Hoekstra replied. He was questioned shortly before Trump doubled down on his negative views of Canada during an Oval Office appearance with the head of NATO.
The Republican president continues to insist that Canada is among countries that take advantage of the United States. He also continues to erroneously cast the U.S. trade deficit with Canada 鈥� a natural resource-rich nation that provides the U.S. with commodities like oil 鈥� as a subsidy.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 need their cars. We don鈥檛 need their energy. We don鈥檛 need their lumber,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淎s a state it would be one of the great states.鈥�
Trump has by insisting that their country become the 51st state. The two countries are also now embroiled in a trade war started by Trump after he slapped . In response, Canada is hiking tariffs on a variety of American imports.
Hoekstra is a former congressman from Michigan who served as U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands in Trump's first term.
In his opening statement, Hoekstra said that, as someone from Michigan, 鈥淚 do have a special appreciation for Canada as a neighbor.鈥� He said 36 states view Canada as their No. 1 trading partner and that he frequently interacted with Canada on trade and other issues when he was in Congress.
Darlene Superville, The Associated Press
