Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has been criticized for praising Donald Trump at the White House, labeling him as a ‘transformative president’.
Carney met Trump seeking to ease US tariffs that are hitting Canada’s economy – and his popularity at home.
In a light-hearted exchange, the former Bank of England governor, aged 60, quipped, ‘I wore red for you,’ referencing his tie as Trump welcomed him at the west wing. Interestingly, Trump opted for a blue tie on this occasion, despite his usual preference for red.
Inside the Oval Office, Carney turned up his charm offensive by listing off a number of the President’s achievements.
‘You are a transformative president,’ Carney remarked, highlighting changes in the economy, NATO allies increasing defense expenditure, peace initiatives from India-Pakistan to Azerbaijan-Armenia, combating Iran’s terrorism influence, and more.
Trump cut him off: ‘The merger of Canada and the United States’.
The joke sparked raucous laughter — and significant reaction online — as the President slapped the Canadian PM on the back.
‘I regret to inform you that Mark Carney is kissing Trump’s ass,’ wrote left-wing commentator Aaron Rupar.
Donald Trump meets with Canada’s Mark Carney in the Oval Office of the White House today
The President shares a laugh with the prime minister alongside US Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio
This marks Carney’s second visit to the Oval Office since April. However, unlike other US allies, Canada has not yet finalized any agreement with Washington to mitigate the impact of Trump’s trade conflicts.
Trump appeared to offer Carney a vague reassurance when asked about the state of relations today.
Carney commented to journalists, ‘It’s a natural business conflict. Nothing wrong with it. And I think we’ve come a long way over the last few months, actually, in terms of that relationship.’
Already, Trump has placed tariffs on lumber, aluminum, steel, and automobiles. Recently, he declared a 25 percent tariff on heavy trucks set to begin on November 1.
For now, the vast majority of trade remains protected by the USMCA, a free-trade agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico.
But the agreement faces renegotiation soon, and Trump has already called for a revision that would favor US industries.
Carney entered politics less than a year ago but now faces growing criticism domestically, where he campaigned on his extensive crisis management experience.
A day earlier, when asked about Carney’s visit, Trump said: ‘I guess he’s going to ask about tariffs, because a lot of companies from Canada are moving into the United States.’
The President has also recently repeated his desire to make Canada ‘the 51st state’, an issue that caused tensions before Carney’s previous trip.
The Canadian government said that during the prime minister’s ‘working visit’ he seeks to restore bilateral relations and discuss ‘shared priorities in a new economic and security relationship between Canada and the US.’
Canada has still not sealed a deal with Washington to take the edge off Trump’s trade wars
The Canadian premier is under major pressure at home to seal a deal
The United States is Canada’s main economic partner, with 75 percent of Canada’s exports being sold across its southern border. Canada saw its GDP decline by 1.5 percent in the second quarter, adding to the economic pressure.
The Canadian premier is under major pressure at home to seal a deal.
‘Mark Carney has no choice, he must return from Washington with progress,’ said Daniel Beland, a political scientist at McGill University in Montreal, pointing to the steel and aluminum tariffs as key areas.
Carney faces particular criticism for making concessions while getting little in return.
At the end of June, Carney canceled a tax targeting American tech giants under pressure from Trump, who called it outrageous. He also lifted many of the tariffs imposed by the previous government.
‘If you return with excuses, broken promises and photo ops, you will have failed our workers, our businesses and our country,’ conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilievre wrote in an open letter to Carney on Monday.
Carney faces risks, too, as he appears in the Oval Office.
The Canadian safely navigated his first appearance there six months ago, but Trump has previously savaged visiting foreign leaders in the gilded room including Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky.
‘These meetings can easily go off track, and everything plays out publicly,’ said Genevieve Tellier, a political scientist at the University of Ottawa.
Last week, Trump once again brought up the possibility of annexing Canada during a speech to US generals and admirals, referencing the country’s potential participation in a new ‘Golden Dome’ missile shield.
‘Canada called me a couple of weeks ago, they want to be part of it,’ Trump claimed. ‘To which I said, well, why don’t you just join our country’ and ‘become the 51st state, and you get it for free.’
