Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday said President Donald Trump’s talk of making Canada the 51st U.S. state is “a real thing” and is linked to the country’s rich natural resources, local media reported.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a business gathering on Friday that US President Donald Trump’s threat to annex Canada “is a real thing,” two Canadian business leaders who were at the meeting confirmed to CNN.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in a talk with business leaders, said Canada’s wealth of critical minerals are behind Mr. Trump’s comments about making its northern neighbor a U.S. state.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was captured on a hot-mic telling a gathering of business leaders that President Donald Trump's comments about taking over Canada is a "real thing." Trudeau, who said he will step down after March's elections,

Trudeau told business and labor leaders that he didn’t believe Trump was joking about wanting to annex Canada, citing the country’s minerals and energy resources.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday said U.S. 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.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada must think “tactically and strategically” on how to deal with U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to impose hefty tariffs on all Canadian imports

Donald Trump is not joking when he says he'd like to make Canada the 51st state, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday, adding that the U.S. president's annexation plans are related to Canada's supply of critical minerals.