Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Sunday said President Donald Trump won’t “break” his country and pushed back against what he said were “unjustified trade actions” from the United States.
Carney, an economist who succeeded Justin Trudeau as both prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party earlier in March, made the remarks as he called for a snap election on April 28.
The relationship between the two countries has continued to hit lows as Trump has put into place 25% tariffs against Canada and Mexico, with exceptions for goods traded under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Trump has also placed 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports and has plans to issue a series of retaliatory tariffs on April 2.
“We are facing the most significant crisis of our lifetimes because of President Trump’s unjustified trade actions and his threats to our sovereignty,” Carney said, referencing Trump’s calls for Canada to become the 51st US state.
“President Trump claims that Canada isn’t a real country. He wants to break us so America can own us,” he continued. “We will not let that happen. We need to build the strongest economy in the G7.”
Carney’s call for an election wasn’t unexpected, as he lacks a seat in Parliament, and his Liberal Party lacks a majority in the legislature.
However, Carney will run for a seat in the Nepean area of Ottawa. And the Liberal Party, which had sunk in popularity in recent years, has seen a significant turnaround in support for the upcoming election.
Carney has now put into motion a five-week campaign where he’ll compete against the Conservative Party and its leader, Pierre Poilievre.
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