Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada had one key goal in his high-stakes meeting with President Trump on Tuesday. He needed to say, in no uncertain terms, that Canada is not going to become the 51st U.S. state, while avoiding a public fight.
And he succeeded.
“As you know from real estate, there are some places that are not for sale,” Mr. Carney said solemnly. “It’s not for sale. It won’t be for sale, ever,” he added.
“Never say never,” Mr. Trump replied. But the moment’s potency had been defused, and Mr. Trump clearly was not interested in having a fight with Mr. Carney, whom he praised for his stunning electoral victory just a few days ago.
The relationship between the neighbors, allies and top trading partners has been at a historic low since Mr. Trump’s re-election because of his decision to impose tariffs on Canadian goods and his constant refrain that he wants to make Canada part of the United States.
Less than an hour before Mr. Carney arrived at the White House, Mr. Trump unloaded on Canada in a bellicose post on Truth Social, repeating his frequent criticisms that the country was too dependent on the United States.
“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!”
But Mr. Trump struck a much more conciliatory tone once the two leaders sat down in the Oval Office. Mr. Trump congratulated Mr. Carney on his election, praising his campaign as “one of the greatest comebacks in the history of politics.” (He did not mention that Mr. Carney had won on an anti-Trump platform).
“We have some tough points to go over, and that’ll be fine,” Mr. Trump said.
Not Getting Zelensky-ed
As the public portion came to a close, Mr. Trump contrasted this meeting with the disastrous one that Mr. Carney took pains not to replicate: the Oval Office meeting in February between Mr. Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine.
“We had another little blow up with somebody else,” Mr. Trump said. “That was a much different. This is, this is a very friendly conversation.”
Over the course of a half-hour meeting in front of the cameras, Mr. Carney spoke just three times after delivering his opening remarks. Mr. Trump dominated the airtime, mostly with comments that veered off topic. For example, he criticized former President Barack Obama over the delays in constructing his presidential library, baselessly blaming it on Mr. Obama’s preference for diversity in hiring. He also assailed Gov. Gavin Newsom of California over the state’s high-speed rail project, calling it “the worst cost overrun I have ever seen.”
He also teased a “very, very big announcement,” though he declined to provide any details beyond saying he would make it in the coming days. Mr. Carney took an opportunity to use humor to improve the mood, something he does often: “Mr. President, I’m at the edge of my seat,” he said with a smile.
Mr. Trump also announced the United States would stop bombing the Houthi militia in Yemen because the group said it did not want to fight anymore. (Oman’s foreign minister later posted on social media that the country had mediated a cease-fire between the Houthis and the United States.)
Flattery and Preparation
Mr. Carney’s ability to survive his first public interaction with Mr. Trump relatively unscathed came down to intense preparation — something Mr. Carney is known for from his central banking days — and learning lessons from Mr. Trump’s previous meetings with foreign leaders.
He started off by flattering Mr. Trump.
“You are a transformational president, focused on the economy, with a relentless focus on the American worker, security, borders, ending the scourge of fentanyl and other opioids, and securing the world,” Mr. Carney said.
He then took care to choose the moment to deliver his rebuke of Mr. Trump’s 51st-state talk, and he spoke firmly but not aggressively when he did so.
Mr. Carney was also spared interventions from Mr. Trump’s top officials.
Vice President JD Vance and the other top American officials stayed largely quiet during the meeting, unlike the contentious encounter with Mr. Zelensky, during which Mr. Vance berated the Ukrainian leader.
And the Canadian prime minister clearly benefited from Mr. Trump’s thinking more highly of him than he does of his predecessor, Justin Trudeau. Mr. Trump and Mr. Trudeau had a public falling out in 2018, and the relationship never recovered. Mr. Trump’s lasting animus toward Mr. Trudeau was again on display on Tuesday, with Mr. Trump referring to him as “Governor Trudeau.”
No Breakthroughs
After their public remarks in the Oval Office, Mr. Trump and Mr. Carney went on to a private working lunch, flanked by some of their top advisers and ministers. That is most likely where the substantive conversation about the future of the relationship between the two countries would happen, although there were no expectations that a breakthrough would be reached in Tuesday’s meeting.
Canada and the United States share, together with Mexico, a free-trade agreement that now lies in tatters; Mr. Trump has said that trade with Canada overly favors Canada and hurts the United States.
Mr. Carney said that the discussions between the two of them would take time, and would extend well beyond trade issues to encompass other areas, such as security and defense.
Despite the more harmonious tone, and Mr. Carney’s intention to open substantive talks during the luncheon, Mr. Trump made clear he was not changing his mind on tariffs with Canada.
The U.S. has applied a 25 percent tariff on Canadian goods that are not covered by the trilateral free-trade agreement between the two countries and Mexico, as well as steel and aluminum exports, and a 10 percent tariff on energy and potash exports. While many important goods, such as auto parts, have been exempted, the tariffs are still having a significant effect on the Canadian economy.
Canada has retaliated by imposing tariffs of its own on American goods, standing as the only country besides China to do so.
Mr. Trump told reporters he did not think Tuesday’s talks would lead to policy changes.