Donald Trump stated his desire to “just want to be friends with Canada” after meeting with its prime minister, Mark Carney. Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump praised Carney for his “greatest political comeback of all time” and described the visit as an honor for the White House. The amiable tone of the meeting marked a stark contrast to Trump’s hostile rhetoric in recent months, as he launched a trade war against Canada, belittled its prime ministers, and made threats to crush its economy.
Carney, whose Liberal party won the federal election last week, reciprocated the praise, calling Trump a “transformational president” with a strong focus on the economy. However, he dismissed any idea of Canada becoming the 51st state, stating that it is “never for sale.” Despite Trump’s interest in renegotiating key aspects of the USMCA free trade agreement, Carney described the discussions as “very constructive” and expressed his intention to address the issue further at the upcoming G7 summit in Canada.
The meeting between the prime minister and president is considered to be one of the most closely watched summits in Canada’s history, amid concerns of strengthened diplomatic and trading relations between the two countries. Carney has consistently opposed Trump’s threats to Canada’s sovereignty, stating that the country will “never” become part of the United States. Despite the positive outcome of the meeting, tensions may still exist as both countries navigate their economic and political relationship.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/06/trump-mark-carney-canada-meeting
