Trump Slams Canada Over Golden Dome, Warns China Will ‘Eat Them Up’

US President Donald Trump launched a sharp attack on Canada on Friday, accusing Ottawa of undermining North American security by opposing his proposed Golden Dome missile defence system over Greenland while choosing to deepen economic ties with China. Trump warned that such a move would leave Canada vulnerable, claiming Beijing would “eat them up within the first year.”

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Canada had taken a stance against the Golden Dome despite the project’s purported security benefits. “Canada is against The Golden Dome being built over Greenland, even though The Golden Dome would protect Canada,” he wrote, adding that Ottawa had instead voted in favour of doing business with China.

The Golden Dome is a US-led missile defence initiative envisioned to protect North America from ballistic, hypersonic and advanced missile threats. Greenland’s strategic Arctic location plays a central role in the proposal, given its proximity to potential missile trajectories and its relevance in early-warning and interception systems.

Trump’s remarks came amid growing diplomatic friction between Washington and Ottawa and followed comments he made earlier at the World Economic Forum in Davos. There, he reiterated that the Golden Dome would automatically extend protection to Canada and suggested that Ottawa benefited disproportionately from US security commitments.

“We’re building a Golden Dome that’s going to, just by its very nature, be defending Canada,” Trump told delegates in Davos. He also said Canada should be “grateful” for what he described as extensive American support, remarks that further strained relations between the two allies.

The comments followed a recent visit by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to China, where Ottawa moved to revive economic engagement with Beijing. The trip resulted in expanded trade arrangements, including tariff reductions on Canadian agricultural exports and revised quotas related to Chinese electric vehicles.

At Davos, Carney had openly criticised what he described as the declining influence of American-led global order and warned against powerful nations using economic and security leverage to coerce smaller states. While he did not name Trump directly at the forum, his remarks were widely interpreted as a rebuke of Washington’s recent posture.

Responding after returning to Canada, Carney rejected Trump’s characterisation of Canadian dependence. “Canada doesn’t live because of the United States. Canada thrives because we are Canadian,” he said, while reaffirming the importance of cooperation between the two countries.

Tensions escalated further after Trump withdrew an invitation for Carney to join his proposed “Board of Peace,” a US-backed global conflict resolution initiative. The move was widely viewed as retaliation for Carney’s comments and Canada’s resistance to US pressure on defence and trade policy.

Trump has previously floated the idea of Canada becoming the 51st state of the United States and has shared altered maps portraying Canada and Greenland as part of US territory. He has also claimed that Canada is interested in joining the Golden Dome system, a claim firmly rejected by Canadian officials.

Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae, dismissed the Golden Dome proposal earlier this year, likening it to a “protection racket.” The Trump administration has estimated the project’s cost at around USD 175 billion, though US budget analysts warn long-term expenses could be significantly higher.

As strategic competition with China intensifies and Arctic geopolitics gain prominence, Trump’s remarks underline growing divisions within traditional Western alliances over security priorities, economic engagement and global influence.