The outgoing US ambassador is concerned that Canadians feel disrespected by the US

As U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and his supporters continue to troll Canada over its status as the 51st state, the U.S. ambassador to Canada says he worries Canadians may feel disrespected by Americans.

David Cohen told the CBC House in 2022 Canadians felt “betrayed” because “they don’t think their love and respect for the United States is reciprocated by the United States.”

in a follow-up interview on Tuesday with HouseCohen was asked if Canadians feel disrespected again as Trump continues to joke about Canada joining the United States.

“I think it’s fair to say I’m concerned about it,” Cohen told CBC’s Catherine Cullen. home, in an interview broadcast on Saturday.

“Much of my message to Canadians over the last three years has been that you suffer from a bit of an inferiority complex that you don’t deserve.”

Cohen, who will leave his post in Ottawa early next year, also said “there has to be mutual respect between the two countries to have a healthy relationship.”

“I don’t know that being the 51st country is a terrible thing,” added the outgoing ambassador.

Over the past two weeks, Trump has repeatedly suggested that Canada become a US state, sometimes citing the trade imbalance between the two countries. He repeatedly addressed the prime minister as “Governor Justin Trudeau.”

Top Canadian officials, including Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, attended a dinner with the president-elect in Florida He suggested that Trump was just trolling and does not seriously suggest that Canada should be an American state.

Cohen noted that “Canadians have responded pretty well, it would probably be better if the U.S. were Canada’s 11th province … You can make a joke and it’s not necessarily disrespectful.”

He said the Canada-US relationship goes “deeper” than the president and prime minister and extends to Congress, the business community and provincial legislatures.

“And I hear nothing but continued respect, appreciation and admiration for Canada from all these sources,” Cohen said.

During a news conference Monday, LeBlanc discussed a dinner with the president-elect in Florida and said he considered Trump’s comments about Canada being the 51st state a “joke.”

“He went on to say some things on social media,” LeBlanc said. “I say again, our government’s job is not to respond to all of Trump’s posts.”

LeBlanc said he would Meeting with Trump’s border czarTom Homan to discuss Canada’s proposed $1.3 billion plan to secure the Canada-US border after Christmas.

“I’m sure we’re having a frank, cooperative discussion with the new Trump administration, but we have a lot of work to do,” LeBlanc said.