After months of criticism and tension directed at Canada, Donald Trump met Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the White House for their first in-person meeting, eight days after Carney’s election victory. Carney’s campaign had largely focused on Trump’s controversial treatment of Canada, but their conversation in the Oval Office was notably cordial.
Trump, commenting on their meeting, assured that it would not be like his previous encounter with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, referring to the tense February clash. “This is a very friendly conversation,” Trump said.
Carney had been elected with a mandate seen as a challenge to Trump, particularly amid their trade dispute. In a social media post, Trump had once again criticized Canada’s dependence on the US. However, in the Oval Office, the leaders expressed mutual respect and a desire for cooperation. Trump described Carney as “a very talented person, a very good person,” and emphasized their commonalities despite their differences. Carney reciprocated by praising Trump as a “transformational president” focused on American workers and securing the world, aligning with his own agenda for Canada.
Trump acknowledged his role in Carney’s win, calling his victory “one of the greatest comebacks in the history of politics.” Carney’s election was largely driven by anti-Trump sentiment, mirroring political shifts in places like Australia.
Trump also revisited his idea of Canada joining the US as the “51st state.” Framing it as a “wonderful marriage,” he suggested that the two nations would benefit from the removal of their border. However, Carney firmly rejected the idea, saying, “Some places are never for sale,” adding that Canada was one of them. Despite this, Trump humorously replied, “Never say never.”
Despite their warm meeting, the ongoing trade war loomed large. Trump maintained his position on tariffs, which remain in place despite Carney’s efforts to discuss changes to the US-Canada-Mexico trade agreement. When asked if Carney could convince him to lift tariffs, Trump simply replied, “No.”
Carney said that the USMCA agreement needed to evolve, particularly in relation to tariffs, and hinted at continued talks, including at the upcoming G7 summit in Canada. He later described their conversation as constructive and emphasized that the meeting marked the start of redefining US-Canada relations.
In a broader context, Trump discussed the US’s trade negotiations with other countries. He asserted that the US was in a powerful position, and while there were no new trade deals yet, countries were eager to negotiate with the US because of its dominant market. Trump likened the US to a “super luxury store,” where countries would have to “pay a price” to do business.
As the meeting ended, Carney gave a thumbs-up, indicating that the dialogue would continue, with a potential announcement about new deals expected soon.
