Trump HUMILIATES Carney with 51st state rhetoric in first Oval Office meeting

Prime Minister Mark Carney received an exceptionally warm welcome from U.S. President Donald Trump during their first meeting at the White House, but things got awkward during the Q&A

Source: CPAC

Prime Minister Mark Carney initially received a chummy welcome from U.S. President Donald Trump during their first White House meeting.

In a media availability in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump and Carney traded personal compliments and political praise with one another and committed to working together to improve trade relations.

Trump congratulated Carney his election victory and the Liberal party’s political comeback, crediting himself for helping the Liberals.

Things quickly unraveled for Carney, though, during the Q&A when Trump resumed his rhetoric about Canada becoming the 51st state.

“It would be a massive tax cut for Canadian citizens,” said Trump, as Carney sat idly, with a sheepish grin.

“I’m a real estate developer at heart, and when you get rid of that artificially drawn line — somebody drew that artificially drawn line many years ago with a ruler, just like a straight line right across the top of the country — when you look at the beautiful formation… that’s the way it was meant to be.”

Carney responded in kind, saying that some places — like the White House, Buckingham Palace and Canada — will never be for sale.

”Never say never,” quipped Trump in reply.

Aside from this awkward moment, the overall meeting was positive as Carney and Trump seem friendly and far more affable than Trump’s tense relationship with Trudeau.

“I think I was probably the greatest thing that happened to him,” said Trump about Carney. “His party was losing by a lot and he ended up winning so I really want to congratulate him with probably one of the greatest comebacks in the history of politics, maybe even greater than mine,” said Trump.

“You ran a really great race. I watched the debate, I thought you were excellent. And I think we have a lot of things in common.”

Carney praised Trump as a “transformational” president with a relentless focus on the American worker, cracking down on fentanyl, securing their borders, and pursuing peace internationally.

“Thank you for your hospitality, and above all for your leadership. You’re a transformational president focused on the economy with a relentless focus on the American worker, securing your borders, ending the scourge of fentanyl and other opioids, and securing the world,” said Carney.

“And I’ve been elected here with my colleagues here to transform Canada with a similar focus on our economy, securing our borders, again on fentanyl. Much greater focus on defence and security.”

The meeting, scheduled shortly after Carney’s election victory, had several high-level American officials in attendance including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. On the Canadian side, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, International Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc, and Carney’s Chief of Staff Marco Mendicino.

Trump said the top concession he wants is friendship, and claimed that he loved Canada. However, Trump said that he is not willing to drop American tariffs.

Trump still said he wants Canada to become the 51st state, saying Canadians would get a massive tax cut and would get protection from the American military for free.

Carney said he wants to invest in the security partnership with the United States.

On tariffs, Trump said that he wants to protect his automobile industry and touted his country’s large fossil fuel reserves.

Trump said that he is not willing to walk away from CUSMA and called it a “good deal for everybody” while Carney called it the “basis for broader negotiation.”

“Part of the way you’ve conducted these tariffs has taken advantage of existing aspects of (CUSMA), so it’s going to have to change,” said Carney.

Trump said that he does not like Trudeau and expressed his distaste for Chrystia Freeland, calling her a “horrible person.”

The U.S. president also made it clear that there was nothing Carney could say for him to lift tariffs on Canada.

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With files from Noah Jarvis