In his first official visit to Washington, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney firmly dismissed US President Donald Trump’s repeated remarks about annexing Canada, declaring during their meeting: “Canada is not for sale.”
Welcoming Carney after his recent election win, Trump said: “I think Canada chose a very talented person. I think we have a lot of things in common. We have some tough, tough points to go over, and that will be fine.”
That goodwill prefaced a potentially tense encounter. Trump’s renewed calls for making Canada the 51st state and the ongoing trade disputes between the two countries meant the meeting had the potential to turn contentious - like his earlier clash with Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy.
Seated with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio nearby, Carney remained composed as Trump mused once again about a US-Canada union.
“It would really be a wonderful marriage,” Trump said. “They like each other a lot... It takes two to tango, right?”
Trump continued, insisting that once-unthinkable ideas can become reality: “I’ve had many things people said weren’t doable, and they ended up being doable. If it’s to everybody’s benefit… we’ll see what happens.”
Carney, who campaigned on defending Canadian sovereignty, didn’t hesitate to dismiss the notion. “Canada is not for sale,” he said. “It won’t be for sale - ever. The opportunity lies in partnership, in what we can build together.”
Back in Canada, many saw Trump’s remarks as a step too far, with some questioning whether the US president had crossed a diplomatic line.
Despite the awkwardness, Carney knows the importance of maintaining trade relations with the US, Canada’s largest economic partner - even if Trump’s rhetoric tests the relationship. A seasoned former central banker, Carney witnessed first-hand the effects of Brexit and remains focused on pragmatism over posturing.
The atmosphere cooled further as Trump took shots at Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau, and implicitly criticized former trade and finance minister Chrystia Freeland. “She was a terrible person, and she really hurt that deal,” Trump said, referencing the earlier Canada-US-Mexico trade negotiations.
He also complained about what he sees as an imbalanced trade relationship: “Canada has a surplus with us, and there’s no reason for us to be subsidizing Canada. Canada will have to take care of itself economically.”
Carney, speaking to reporters later from the Canadian Embassy rooftop, said he saw the meeting as a potential reset after a strained period under Trudeau. “I feel better about the relations,” he noted. “But we have a lot more work to do.”
He added that he had clearly told Trump—both publicly and privately—to stop calling Canada the 51st state. When asked how he reacted to Trump’s remark about the US-Canada border being “an artificially drawn line… like, with a ruler,” Carney offered only a small smile: “I’m glad you couldn’t tell what was going through my mind.”
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