Trump's plan to absorb Canada 'a real thing,' warns Justin Trudeau: Report

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday said US President Donald Trump's talk about absorbing Canada "is a real thing" and is linked to the country's rich natural resources, a government source said.

His comments were first reported by the Toronto Star, which said they were mistakenly carried by a loudspeaker.

"They're very aware of our resources, of what we have and they very much want to be able to benefit from those," the Star quoted Trudeau as saying.

"But Trump has it in mind that one of the easiest ways of doing that is absorbing our country. And it is a real thing."

The government source confirmed that the Star's account of the remarks was accurate.