Bessent to Carney: focus on Canadians, not “virtue signalling” against Trump

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent delivered a blunt message to Carney, urging him to prioritize Canadian interests over “virtue signalling."

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent delivered a blunt message to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, urging him to prioritize Canadian interests over “virtue signalling” as the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement review approaches.

“I would just encourage Prime Minister Carney to do what he thinks is best for the Canadian people, not his own virtue signalling,” Bessent said during a CNBC appearance Wednesday. “He rose to power on an anti-American, anti-Trump message, and that’s not a great place to be when you’re negotiating with an economy that is multiples larger than you are.”