Trump raises price for Canada to join Golden Dome

President Donald Trump has sharply increased the price tag for Canada to join the United States’ ambitious “Golden Dome” missile defense system, suggesting Ottawa would now need to pay $71 billion — $10 billion more than his previous public demand. “They want to be in,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “Seventy-one billion they’re going to pay.”

The ‘Golden Dome’

The Golden Dome, which Trump has described as a “state-of-the-art” shield for North America, is designed to protect against emerging threats such as intercontinental ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles. The president has repeatedly said he intends to have the system operational by the end of his administration. However, defense officials have estimated a development timeline of five to seven years. Canada has expressed interest in participating, according to Trump, though Ottawa has not confirmed any agreement. Canada’s Defense Ministry referred inquiries to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office, while neither the White House nor Carney’s office immediately responded to requests for comment.

Trump vs. Canada

Trump signaled that Canadian access to the missile shield could be free — but only if Canada were to become the 51st U.S. state. Remaining “separate, but unequal,” he said, would carry a $61 billion fee under earlier terms, now raised to $71 billion. Canadian leaders have bristled at Trump’s rhetoric. Ambassador to the United Nations Bob Rae likened the offer to a “protection racket” and reaffirmed that Canada’s sovereignty is non-negotiable. Carney, who secured re-election in April amid widespread frustration over Trump’s overtures, recently said, “It is positive to have protections in place for Canadians,” but stressed that Canada would not participate in discussions without a clear national benefit.

Canada’s value

Analysts note that Canada’s vast geography makes it strategically valuable. Nearly four million square miles of Canadian territory provide critical lines of sight for U.S. missile-detection sensors, particularly against potential Russian or Chinese missile paths over the Arctic. North America currently relies on the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) for threat detection, but experts warn of gaps in coverage over the North Pole. The Golden Dome project is loosely modeled on Israel’s Iron Dome, which intercepts short-range threats, but it aims to handle long-range intercontinental strikes. The U.S. currently relies on 44 ground-based interceptors, mostly in Alaska, supplemented by the Navy’s Aegis system. Twenty next-generation interceptors are planned for deployment by 2028.

Trump’s goal

Trump has framed the Golden Dome as the culmination of the 1980s “Star Wars” vision launched under President Ronald Reagan, saying the system will employ space-based sensors and interceptors to “knock out missiles even if they are launched from space.” Defense analysts, including the U.K.-based Council on Geostrategy, have called the program “transformational,” with potentially “far-reaching strategic consequences.” Cost projections for the Golden Dome vary widely. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the space-based portion alone could total $542 billion over two decades. The Trump administration maintains the overall program cost is closer to $175 billion, with $25 billion already allocated in next year’s budget. As negotiations with Canada remain uncertain, Trump continues to pitch the Golden Dome as both a revolutionary defense system and a political bargaining chip — one that could reshape North American security for decades to come.

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