New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney shut down President Trump’s talk of Canada potentially becoming the U.S.’s 51st state, characterizing it as “crazy” and vowing the North American neighbor will remain independent.

At his U.S. Senate confirmation hearing for ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra steered clear of annexation talk and saluted the countries' longstanding partnership. He was peppered with questions from Democrats about what they described as disrespectful language from Trump that's poisoned an old alliance.