Former Minnesota governor says U.S. state should 'join Canada'

Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, a vocal critic of U.S. President Donald Trump, says the state should start looking into ways to “join Canada.”

The outspoken former professional wrestler turned one-term governor put forward his notion of secession in a recent interview on The SpinSisters , a new Minnesota-based podcast on politics and policy.

“How about since Trump dislikes Minnesota so bad and we’re so out of control, let’s join Canada,” he said when asked by co-host Mary Lahammer what advice he would give current Governor Mike Walz on navigating the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.

“Instead of Canada becoming the 51st state of America and lose their health care… I’d like to see Minnesota, all of us become Canadians.”

He proposed a petition to leave the union and join Canada who he’s sure would “be happy” to welcome the Minnesotans.

“And then all those Iowans, think of what a mess it’ll be when they have to cross an international border to come up here fishing,” he said of residents in the neighbouring state to the south.

Lahammer and co-host Tara Erickson both chuckled slightly at the latter, but Ventura insisted he’s “serious.”

“I think someone seriously should contact Canada and ask them if they’re open to this.”

Check out the entire Gov. Ventura interview on The SpinSisters Podcast https://t.co/HvXZ3jlF9D Apple & Spotify https://t.co/OYl6aXxOai

— Mary Lahammer (@mlahammer) January 29, 2026

Ventura, a former Navy SEAL who saw action in Vietnam, proceeded to admonish Trump on his lack of military experience and continued to lambaste the president throughout, often blaming him for the tension and violence in Minneapolis.

“If it weren’t for President Trump, no one would be dying on the streets of Minneapolis,” he said.

The hosts don’t circle back on Ventura’s secessionist musings during the rest of the hour-plus conversation.

The idea of individual states abandoning the American Experiment to join Canada’s Confederation has come up before.

Before Trump was even elected to a second term, Democratic New York State Senator Liz Krueger proposed that the state, along with Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont, should “combine and be a great new province as the southeast province of Canada.”

“Basically everybody in these states are progressive Democrats,” she said in an interview with news site City and State New York.

“We would fit in pretty well with the political philosophy of at least most of the Canadian elected officials.”

Just before Trump’s inauguration, and amid his repeated talk of Canada becoming the 51st state, Canadian Green Party Leader Elizabeth May jokingly suggested California, Oregon and Washington join Canada instead.

“Have we got a deal for you; free health care. Universal free health care. No more one-year-olds who suddenly fall off the Medicaid list and their parents are in the news because they’re trying to do a GoFundMe to get their daughter to a doctor,” May told reporters in Ottawa.

Meanwhile, a Leger poll last March found one in five Americans (20 per cent) say they would like their state to join Canada.

• One in five Americans want their state to join Canada amid escalating trade war: poll
• Elizabeth May proposes California, Oregon, Washington join Canada after Trump's 51st state threat

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