President Donald Trump's choice to be U.S. ambassador to Canada on Thursday said that America’s northern neighbor is a sovereign state, showing some daylight with Trump on the issue. The president has insisted that Canada would be better off as the United States' newest member.

Donald Trump’s choice for ambassador to Canada affirmed that country’s status as a sovereign nation and hinted the president’s complex relationship with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau might have played a role in his calls to annex it into the US.

The US President Donald Trump's nominee for ambassador to Canada asserted during questioning that Canada is an independent nation, diverging from President Trump's stance. Trump has repeatedly suggested that Canada should join the United States.