Outgoing U.S. ambassador worries that Canadians feel disrespected by the United States

As U.S. president-elect Donald Trump and his supporters continue to troll Canada about becoming the 51st state, the outgoing U.S. ambassador to Canada says he worries Canadians could feel Americans don't respect them.

David Cohen told CBC's The House in 2022 that Canadians felt "betrayed" because "they don't think their affection and respect for the United States has been reciprocated by the United States."

In a follow-up interview on Tuesday with The House, Cohen was asked whether Canadians feel disrespected again as Trump continues to joke about Canada joining the U.S.

"I think it's fair to say I worry about that," Cohen told Catherine Cullen, host of CBC's The House, in an interview airing Saturday.

"A lot of my message to Canadians over the past three years was that you're suffering from a bit of an inferiority complex which you don't deserve."

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

The outgoing ambassador also added, "I don't know that being a 51st state is a terrible thing."

Over the last two weeks, Trump has suggested repeatedly that Canada should become a U.S. state, sometimes citing the trade imbalance between the two countries. He's also referred to the prime minister as "Governor Justin Trudeau" multiple times.

Top Canadian officials — including Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who attended a dinner in Florida with the president-elect — have suggested that Trump is merely trolling and is not seriously suggesting Canada become a American state.

Cohen pointed out that "Canadians had a pretty good retort, which is maybe it'd be better for the United States to become Canada's 11th province ... You can have banter and not necessarily a lack of respect."

He said the Canada-U.S. relationship is "much deeper" than the president and prime minister and extends to Congress, the business community and state legislatures.

"And I hear nothing but continued respect, appreciation and admiration of Canada from all of those sources," Cohen said.

During a press conference on Monday, LeBlanc discussed his dinner with the president-elect in Florida and said he viewed Trump's comments about Canada becoming the 51st state as "cheerful banter."

"He's gone on to say some of this stuff on social media," LeBlanc said. "Again, our government's job is not to respond to everything that Trump posts."

LeBlanc said he'll be meeting Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, after Christmas to discuss Canada's proposed $1.3 billion plan to secure the Canada-U.S. border.

"I'm confident that we have a cordial, collaborative discussion with Trump's incoming administration, but we have a lot of work to do," LeBlanc said.