Carney Faces Up to Trump, Says Canada Not for Sale

In a striking diplomatic moment, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney firmly rebuffed U.S. President Donald Trump’s provocative suggestion that Canada should become the 51st American state.

The encounter took place during Carney’s first official visit to the White House since taking office.

During a 33-minute meeting in the Oval Office, President Trump, invoking his real estate background, floated the idea of a U.S.-Canada union, calling it a “wonderful marriage” and claiming the two nations were “always meant to be one.”

Prime Minister Carney, calm but resolute, replied sharply:
“Canada is not for sale. It won’t be for sale—ever.”

He emphasized Canada’s sovereignty and independence, later comparing the notion of selling Canada to the absurdity of purchasing Buckingham Palace.

The exchange underscores the differing worldviews of the two leaders. While Trump has long taken a transactional approach to diplomacy, Carney, a former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor, has emphasized principled leadership and international cooperation.

The conversation also touched on ongoing trade tensions. Trump maintained his hardline stance on tariffs, while Carney urged the removal of new trade barriers, citing the need for stable economic ties between the two countries.

Despite the pointed moment, both leaders signaled a desire to maintain dialogue, albeit from sharply different perspectives.

Carney later told reporters that the relationship between the U.S. and Canada remains “strong but honest.”

This meeting marked a dramatic beginning to Carney’s international diplomacy and signaled a renewed assertion of Canadian sovereignty on the global stage.