Trump Says Canada Faces $61 Billion Cost for Golden Dome Defense

U.S. President Donald Trump proposed that Canada would need to pay $61 billion to join the planned $175 billion Golden Dome missile defense system, which aims to protect North America from ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missile threats with space-based interceptors. Trump controversially stated that Canada could join the system for free only if it agreed to become the 51st state of the United States, a suggestion that Canadian leaders have firmly rejected. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed that Canada is considering investing in the project but emphasized that discussions are in preliminary stages and declined to comment on financial details. The Golden Dome system draws inspiration from Israel’s Iron Dome but is much more ambitious, including satellites that would track and intercept missiles globally, with a targeted completion by the end of Trump's term, though experts question the technological feasibility and cost estimates. The project follows decades of U.S.-Canada defense cooperation, notably through NORAD, which Canada is concurrently modernizing. Trump's remarks have added tension to U.S.-Canada relations amid previous trade disputes and his past suggestions about Canadian statehood.