Joy Reid’s Outrageous Claim: “Canada Would Crush the U.S. in a War”

In an eyebrow-raising television appearance, former MSNBC host Joy Reid made the astonishing claim that Canada would decisively defeat the United States in a war—citing a wildly inaccurate interpretation of history and drawing bizarre parallels to Nazi Germany’s failed invasion of the Soviet Union.

Appearing on ex-CNN host Don Lemon’s show, Reid, 56, went on a passionate rant against former President Donald Trump’s supposed plan to make Canada the 51st state, calling it “absurd” and warning that America would be crushed if it ever went to war with its northern neighbor.

“They Burned the White House to the Ground!”

Reid, seemingly unaware of key historical details, claimed that Canada already defeated the U.S. in the War of 1812, adding:

“They burned the White House to the ground in 1814 and won the war.”

Her statement ignored the fact that the British—not the Canadians—burned Washington, D.C., as retaliation for an American attack on York (now Toronto).

The war itself ended in a stalemate with the Treaty of Ghent in 1814, and neither side emerged as a clear winner.

Canada = Russia in WWII?

In an even more bizarre twist, Reid compared Canada’s geography to the Soviet Union during World War II, warning that any American attempt to “occupy” Canada would fail just as Hitler’s Germany failed in Russia.

“You’d have to occupy a country the size of the U.S., with two-thirds of it being frozen Arctic land,” she said. “You know how that worked out for the Nazis in Russia? We’re going to lose.”

Her reference to Operation Barbarossa, Nazi Germany’s doomed invasion of the Soviet Union, left many viewers baffled.

Unlike Russia, Canada has no history of repelling an invasion through brutal winter warfare—because Canada has never been invaded.

“Canadians Have as Many Guns as Americans” (Not Even Close!)

Reid then tried to bolster her case by claiming Canadians are just as heavily armed as Americans, stating:

“They have about as many guns per capita as we do.”

This claim is wildly false. As of 2017, Canada had 12.7 million civilian firearms, while the U.S. had nearly 400 million—a staggering 30-to-1 difference.

While Canada has a high rate of legal gun ownership, its laws are far stricter than America’s, and gun violence is far less frequent.

Canada’s New Prime Minister Fires Back at Trump

In response to Trump’s suggestion that Canada could become part of the U.S., newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney forcefully rejected the idea, calling it “insane.”

“We will never, ever, in any way, shape, or form, be part of the United States,” Carney declared at a press conference.

“We are the masters of our own home. We’re in charge.”

Carney then reminded Trump that Canada is America’s largest economic partner and warned that the U.S. must treat Canada with respect if it hopes to maintain strong trade relations.

Reality Check: No One Is Invading Canada

Despite Reid’s dramatic rhetoric, no serious discussion about a U.S. invasion of Canada exists—nor would such a scenario make any geopolitical sense.

Canada and the U.S. share one of the world’s closest alliances, and their economies are deeply intertwined.

However, Reid’s fiery comments illustrate the increasingly unhinged political discourse in modern media, where hyperbole often replaces fact.

Final Verdict: Canada-U.S. War? Never Going to Happen

Joy Reid’s historical blunders, exaggerated comparisons, and faulty statistics make one thing clear: her claim that Canada would defeat the U.S. in a war is not just incorrect—it’s laughable.

While Canada is an important ally and a strong nation in its own right, any suggestion that it could crush the world’s most powerful military is nothing short of fantasy.