Donald Trump expressed a desire for friendship with Canada during his first post-election meeting with Mark Carney, the former Governor of the Bank of Canada. This summit will be the most publicly scrutinized in Canadian history. It is a historic turning point in the otherwise fast-deteriorating relationship between the two countries. Trump and Carney discussed various topics, including trade agreements and the potential for Canada to join the United States as the 51st state.
Just weeks after the vote on the TPA, Trump made it clear at that meeting he wanted to change some of the core elements of the USMCA. He had long attacked the deal as being worse than previous agreements. He dubbed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) the “worst trade deal ever.” This proclamation puts an exclamation point behind how hardline his administration has been in all trade relations.
Carney challenged Trump’s assessment of the current trade deal and addressed the use of tariffs by US officials, suggesting that such actions were not beneficial. For better or worse, he admitted that the existing trade framework needed a makeover, but it provided a jumping-off point for future talks. Carney noted, “It’s always important to distinguish want from reality,” emphasizing the complexities involved in trade negotiations.
Trump’s statements also called for Canada to become the 51st state, one of his more egregious suggestions. Nevertheless, Carney was quick to dispel this idea by re-emphasizing the sovereignty of Canada as an important, independent nation. “As you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale,” Carney asserted, a statement underscoring his commitment to maintaining Canada’s autonomy.
What became crystal clear in the discussion were economic dependencies. Potash, nickel, uranium—what’s next, hockey pucks? He further remarked, “We don’t need their Cars, we don’t need their Energy, we don’t need their Lumber, we don’t need ANYTHING they have, other than their friendship, which hopefully we will always maintain.” This statement framed Trump’s view of the bilateral relationship.
Carney responded to Trump’s claims regarding Canada’s reliance on US resources by emphasizing that Canada’s trading relationship was robust and mutually beneficial. He accused Trump of trying to “break” Canada in order to bring it under America’s thumb and take control over its resources. “Having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign … it’s not for sale,” he declared.
Post-meeting, Trump vented his excitement over the social media to again signal the direction he wants to head with Carney. His tweets suggested a major shift, more collaborative approach to their relationship. He praised Carney for what he termed one of the “greatest political comebacks of all time,” reflecting a level of respect for Carney’s political acumen.
As the meeting ended, Carney had a special message for President Trump. He encouraged him not to position Canada as nothing more than an outpost of the United States. “I told him that it wasn’t useful to repeat this idea, but the president will say what he wants,” Carney remarked, indicating ongoing challenges in aligning perspectives.
Even with some of the controversial issues on the agenda, Carney said the mood of the meetings was very constructive. Both leaders seem to have agreed on the goal of overcoming frictions while acknowledging sharp divergences on trade and industrial policy.