Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura has suggested that the state should secede from the United States and join Canada. The provocative statement, made during a recent podcast appearance, has drawn immediate backlash from conservatives who view it as an attack on American sovereignty in a state that has long valued its patriotic identity.
Ventura, who governed Minnesota from 1999 to 2003 as an independent, made the secession proposal while criticizing the current direction of the United States under Trump. He specifically pointed to Canada’s single-payer healthcare system and broader social safety net as superior to American policies, claiming Minnesota’s values align more closely with Canada than with the rest of the U.S., which lead to universal criticism and mockery from Republican leaders.
He told the Spin Sisters podcast: "Since (President Donald Trump) dislikes Minnesota so bad and we're so out of control, let's join Canada. Instead of Canada becoming the 51st state of America and lose their health care. I'd like to see Minnesota, all of us become Canadian."
The proposal ignores the state’s integration into the U.S. economy and defense infrastructure, as well as the constitutional and legal impossibilities of unilateral secession without congressional approval and a constitutional amendment. Ventura has not proposed any formal steps toward independence, and no serious political movement has emerged from his comments.
As of January 30, 2026, Ventura has not retracted or clarified the statement, and the idea has been met with near-universal rejection from Minnesotans who remain proud of their American identity.
