WASHINGTON, DC — The United States Department of Defense will halt its participation in the Permanent Joint Board on Defense, a continental security forum with Canada that dates back to World War II. Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby announced the move in a social media post, saying the department would reassess the forum's benefits.

"A strong Canada that prioritizes hard power over rhetoric benefits us all. Unfortunately, Canada has failed to make credible progress on its defense commitments. We can no longer avoid the gaps between rhetoric and reality," Colby wrote.

The Trump administration has criticized Western allies for what President Donald Trump believes is an overreliance on U.S. military power. Relations between the U.S. and Canada have become more tense since Trump returned to office for a second term in 2025.

Trump has accused Canada of pursuing unfair trade policies and of failing to crack down on the illicit trafficking of people and drugs across the shared border. He has imposed tariffs on cross-border imports to pressure Canada to comply with his policies, and has suggested that Canada could avoid such penalties by ceding its sovereignty and becoming the 51st state of the U.S.

Republican Representative Don Bacon criticized the decision in a social media post. "Cooler and wiser brains are needed to preserve a close alliance w/ our neighbor," he wrote. "This all started w/ taunts of 'Canada will be the 51st state' and 'their Prime Minister will be the 51st governor'. The insults gained us nothing but animosity that cost us economically and now militarily," Bacon added.

Since taking office as prime minister in March 2025, Mark Carney has supported lessening Canada's dependence on the U.S. military and economy. In a speech this year, Carney outlined a vision in which middle powers like Canada banded together to sidestep the current era of great power rivalry.