Donald Trump, the president-elect of the United States, mocked Canada and Mexico during a Fox Nation awards ceremony in New York on Thursday.
The event, celebrating Trump as “Patriot of the Year,” included a chant of “51! 51! 51!” from the audience, alluding to Trump’s remarks about Canada potentially becoming the 51st US state.
The chant followed Trump’s comments about threatening Canada with a 25 per cent tariff on imports. Trump recounted his meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Mar-a-Lago, where he suggested tariffs would devastate Canada’s economy.
While Canadian officials dismissed Trump’s remark as a joke, he made no effort to clarify it during his speech.
“Justin came flying right in because we talked about 25 per cent tariffs. That’s just the beginning,” Trump said, as the crowd erupted into the chant. Trump responded, “I appreciate all that pent-up anger and love.”
In the same event, Trump also discussed his call with Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum, claiming that his threat of tariffs led to a swift halt to illegal immigration.
He described Sheinbaum as “a very nice woman” but reiterated his tough stance, saying, “You’re allowing criminals to pour into our country, and we can’t allow that anymore.” In contrast, Sheinbaum characterised the conversation as “kind” and denied any risk of a tariff war.
During the 10-minute address, Trump outlined plans to reform immigration, proposing mass deportations and stricter election laws, including voter ID requirements and one-day voting. Trump also praised his first-term achievements, such as constructing 571 miles of border wall.
The event highlighted Trump’s rapport with Fox News, with Sean Hannity presenting the award.
Trump also commended Fox while taking jabs at unnamed critics within the network. The ceremony also honoured individuals such as actor Kirk Cameron and late NYPD officer Jonathan Diller.
