Eby gets White House pushback after calling Trump's 51st state plan a 'non-starter'

After British Columbia Premier David Eby and fellow premiers emerged from a White House meeting with advisers to U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, he wanted to make something clear — Canada would not become the 51st state.

"We had frank conversations about the 51st state comment where we underlined that that was a non-starter, that was obviously consistent among all the premiers," he said, referring to Trump's recent musings about Canada joining the United States.

That might be an uncontroversial position north of the border, but it received swift pushback from Trump's deputy chief of staff James Blair.

"To be clear, we never agreed that Canada would not be the 51st state," Blair posted on social media platform X. "We only agreed to share Premier Eby's comments."

Eby had alluded to "some very frank moments across the table" at the hastily arranged meeting for the premiers who are in Washington, D.C., to make the case against Trump's threatened tariffs on Canadian exports. 

Nevertheless, Blair called it a "pleasant meeting," while Eby said it was "a good and constructive conversation. I think it was positive."

Trump's director of presidential personnel Sergio Gor was also at the meeting.

Eby said the advisers told the premiers they should take Trump at his word about his concerns of fentanyl crossing the border.

In addition, they urged the premiers to take Trump's interest in ensuring the U.S. is treated fairly in terms of trade seriously.

Eby said American officials indicated Trump may be interested in meeting with the premiers in the future, and that discussions would continue after other U.S. administration officials are confirmed in their positions.

Prior to the meeting, Eby said the "last thing" that British Columbia is considering is further economic integration with the U.S.

Instead, B.C. is "looking for other customers" for everything from aluminum to seafood, Eby told reporters in Washington, D.C.

"Canada will never be the 51st state, but there's lots we can talk about in terms of working closely together on transnational organized crime, or whatever it is the president is interested in," Eby said.

"We don't have to fight and cause economic damage to each other."