The Canadian prime minister met with President Trump days after being elected on an anti-Trump platform as relations between the two allies are at a historic nadir.
Carney Tells Trump Canada Is ‘Never For Sale’
President Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney, Canada’s newly elected leader, went back and forth on the prospect of the U.S. making Canada the 51st state.
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“When you get rid of that artificially drawn line — somebody drew that line many years ago with a ruler, just a straight line right across the top of the country. When I looked at that — I said, that’s the way it was meant to be.” “As you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale.” “That’s true.” “We’re sitting in one right now. Buckingham Palace that you visited as well.” “That’s true.” “And having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign, last several months, it’s not for sale. It won’t be for sale, ever. But the opportunity is in the partnership and what we can build together.” “It’s only time. But I say, never say never. I’ve had many, many things that were not doable, and they ended up being doable and only doable in a very friendly way. But if it’s to everybody’s benefit, Canada loves us and we love Canada. That’s I think the No. 1 thing that’s important. But we’ll see. I mean over time, we’ll see what happens.” “Respectfully, Canadians’ view on this is not going to change on the 51st state. Secondly, we are the largest client of the United States in the totality of all the goods. So we are the largest client of the United States. We have a tremendous auto sector between the two of us, and the changes that made have been helpful. You know, 50 percent of a car that comes from Canada is American. That’s not like anywhere else in the world. And to your question about is there one thing? No, this is a bigger discussion. There are much bigger forces involved. And this will take some time and some discussions. And that’s why we’re here.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada had one key goal in his high-stakes meeting with President Trump on Tuesday. He needed to say, in no uncertain terms, that Canada is not going to become the 51st U.S. state, while avoiding a public fight.
And he succeeded.
“As you know from real estate, there are some places that are not for sale,” Mr. Carney said solemnly. “It’s not for sale. It won’t be for sale, ever,” he added.
“Never say never,” Mr. Trump replied. But the moment’s potency had been defused, and Mr. Trump clearly was not interested in having a fight with Mr. Carney, whom he praised for his stunning electoral victory just a few days ago.
The relationship between the neighbors, allies and top trading partners has been at a historic low since Mr. Trump’s re-election because of his decision to impose tariffs on Canadian goods and his constant refrain that he wants to make Canada part of the United States.
Less than an hour before Mr. Carney arrived at the White House, Mr. Trump unloaded on Canada in a bellicose post on Truth Social, repeating his frequent criticisms that the country was too dependent on the United States.
“We don’t need ANYTHING they have, other than their friendship, which hopefully we will always maintain,” Mr. Trump wrote. “They, on the other hand, need EVERYTHING from us!”
But Mr. Trump struck a much more conciliatory tone once the two leaders sat down in the Oval Office. Mr. Trump congratulated Mr. Carney on his election, praising his campaign as “one of the greatest comebacks in the history of politics.” (He did not mention that Mr. Carney had won on an anti-Trump platform.)
“We have some tough points to go over, and that’ll be fine,” Mr. Trump said.
After the leaders concluded their working lunch, Mr. Trump sounded positively charmed by the Canadian leader, calling him a “terrific guy.”
“It went very well. No, we had a very great meeting. No tension,” the president told reporters.
Not Getting Zelensky-ed
As the public portion of their meeting came to a close, Mr. Trump contrasted this visit with the disastrous one that Mr. Carney took pains not to replicate: the Oval Office meeting in February between Mr. Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine.
“We had another little blow up with somebody else,” Mr. Trump said. “That was a much different. This is, this is a very friendly conversation.”
Over the course of a half-hour meeting in front of the cameras, Mr. Carney spoke just three times after delivering his opening remarks. Mr. Trump dominated the airtime, mostly with comments that veered off topic, including criticism of former President Barack Obama and Gov. Gavin Newsom of California.
Our economics reporters — based in New York, London, Brussels, Berlin, Hong Kong and Seoul — are digging into every aspect of the tariffs causing global turmoil. They are joined by dozens of reporters writing about the effects on everyday people.
He also teased a “very, very big announcement,” though he declined to provide any details beyond saying he would make it in the coming days. Mr. Carney took an opportunity to use humor to improve the mood, something he does often: “Mr. President, I’m at the edge of my seat,” he said with a smile.
Mr. Trump also announced the United States would stop bombing the Houthi militia in Yemen because the group said it did not want to fight anymore. (Oman’s foreign minister later posted on social media that the country had mediated a cease-fire between the Houthis and the United States.)
Flattery and Preparation
Mr. Carney’s ability to survive his first public interaction with Mr. Trump relatively unscathed came down to intense preparation — something Mr. Carney is known for from his days as central bank governor of Canada and later Britain — and learning lessons from Mr. Trump’s previous meetings with foreign leaders.
He started off by flattering Mr. Trump.
“You are a transformational president, focused on the economy, with a relentless focus on the American worker, security, borders, ending the scourge of fentanyl and other opioids, and securing the world,” Mr. Carney said.
He then took care to choose the moment to deliver his rebuke of Mr. Trump’s 51st-state talk, and he spoke firmly but not aggressively when he did so.
And he let many of Mr. Trump’s inflammatory references slide instead of rebuking them one by one. Mr. Trump said that Canadians would enjoy great benefits, including “a massive tax cut,” if Canada were to join the United States. (Canadians generally pay higher taxes than Americans. Their taxes fund a robust social welfare system and are more comparable to those in continental Europe.)
Mr. Carney was also spared interventions from Mr. Trump’s top officials.
Vice President JD Vance and the other top American officials stayed largely quiet during the meeting, unlike
