Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney seemed to admit that he was seething in the Oval Office Tuesday as President Donald Trump taunted him to his face about annexing his country.
When a reporter asked after the sit-down what was going through his head while he listened to Trump, Carney had an acerbic answer.
“Well, thank you—I guess—for your question,” Carney began. “I am glad you could not tell what was going through my mind.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump had wasted little time in confronting Carney about his long-standing aspiration to take over Canada.
Calling himself a “real estate developer at heart,” the American said that adding Canada to the United States would make for a “wonderful marriage.”
Carney, who had been shifting in his seat with pursed lips while Trump spoke, immediately shut the president’s musing down.
“Well, if I may, as you know, from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale,” he said.
Despite the tension, the meeting remained cordial to its end, and Carney kept whatever emotions were boiling under control.
Speaking to reporters later on Tuesday, the Canadian PM reiterated his firm response to Trump’s prodding.
“The president has made known his wish about that issue for some time,” he said. “I have been careful always to distinguish between wish and reality, and I was clear there in the Oval Office—as I have been clear throughout on behalf of Canadians—that this is never going to happen. Canada is not for sale and never will be for sale.”
That said, Carney affirmed his commitment to working with the U.S. to rebuild “an economic and security partnership” between the two powers.
Trump, who has made it clear that he is not joking about his long-running aspiration to take over Canada, has slapped the northern ally with steep tariffs.
Carney staged a come from behind election victory after Justin Trudeau stepped down as PM. While the Liberal Party had trailed its Conservative counterparts, support surged amid Trump’s targeting of Canada, delivering Carney a victory last month.
Ahead of his meeting with Carney, Trump took a less playful tone than in person. He wrote in a post on Truth Social that America doesn’t need “ANYTHING” from Canada while Canada needs “EVERYTHING from us!”
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