President Trump is insisting that there is nothing Prime Minister Carney can do to win relief from him with respect to tariffs. After running hard against the American president during the recent Canadian general election campaign, Mr. Carney praised Mr. Trump while also pushing back on some of his other demands. 

In what was a relatively cordial meeting between two leaders who have been indirectly feuding for months, Mr. Trump praised Mr. Carney for his recent victory in the Canadian general election — which the president claimed was a result of his own policy shifts. 

“Just a few days ago, he won a very big election in Canada,” Mr. Trump said at the outset of the Oval Office meeting. “I think I was probably the greatest thing that happened to him, but I can’t take full credit,” he added, prompting Mr. Carney to chuckle. 

“His party was losing by a lot and he ended up winning, so I really wanna congratulate him,” Mr. Trump said. “I wanna congratulate you. That was a great election.”

“I think Canada chose a very talented person,” the president added.

Mr. Carney, in turn, praised Mr. Trump as a “transformational” president with respect to economic management and border security. It didn’t take long, however, for the divides on issues like trade and Canadian sovereignty to show. 

When asked by a reporter if there was anything Mr. Carney could do to get him to back down from his import taxes on Canadian goods, the president responded curtly. “No,” Mr. Trump said. “That’s just the way it is.”

Just before the surprisingly respectful meeting between the two men, Mr. Trump took to Truth Social to say that Mr. Carney’s country was essentially a leech on the United States. 

“Why is America subsidizing Canada by $200 Billion Dollars a year, in addition to giving them FREE Military Protection, and many other things? 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,” Mr. Trump wrote. “They, on the other hand, need EVERYTHING from us!”

In the Oval Office, when pressed about what concessions he would want from the Canadians, Mr. Trump responded: “Friendship.”

“Regardless of anything, we’re gonna be friends with Canada,” he added. 

Mr. Trump insisted that he still wants to see Canada become the 51st state — an obsession he says began because he saw a map of the United States and Canada as one country, which he believed was a “beautiful” sight. “I still believe that,” Mr. Trump told reporters regarding Canada joining the Union. “It takes two to tango, right? I believe it would be a massive tax cut for the Canadian citizens.”

The new Canadian premier was quick to push back on the issue of his country’s sovereignty, however, saying Canada would “never” be a part of America. “There are some places that are never for sale,” Mr. Carney told the president. “Having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign. … It’s not for sale, it won’t be for sale, ever.”

“Never say never,” the president then joked. Mr. Trump further praised Mr. Carney for his commitment to increase military spending and contributions to NATO.