In 2013, when he was working to unseat a Conservative authorities, Justin Trudeau said there have been a “few very massive issues the prime minister of Canada must get proper,” one in every of which was “constructing a constructive working relationship with the president of the USA.”
That after all was lengthy earlier than the president of the USA was Donald Trump — lengthy earlier than even the concept of a president like Trump was remotely fathomable. (Trudeau’s criticism on the time was that Stephen Harper had bungled the connection with Barack Obama, to the detriment of the Keystone XL pipeline.)
In 2025, amid the truth of Trump’s second time period, the query for the brand new prime minister is what that “constructive working relationship” ought to seem like now — and even how constructive any relationship can presumably be.
Two days earlier than Mark Carney went to the White Home, Trump was asked by the host of Meet the Press whether or not he would think about using navy pressure in opposition to this nation. He didn’t say the concept was unthinkable or preposterous or abhorrent. He merely stated he thought it was “extremely unlikely.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney shot down any speak of Canada changing into the 51st state at his first assembly because the election with U.S. President Donald Trump, saying that as a property developer, he ought to know ‘there are some locations which might be by no means on the market.’ ‘By no means say by no means,’ Trump replied.
In 2013, that form of remark may need dominated all dialogue for days. In 2025, it deserves solely passing consideration.
Mere moments earlier than Carney arrived on Tuesday, Trump posted to his personal social media platform the false claim that the USA is “subsidizing Canada by $200 Billion {Dollars} a yr.” Repeating his insistence that commerce with Canada is essentially pointless, Trump wrote that, “We do not want their Vehicles, we do not want their Power, we do not want their Lumber, we do not want ANYTHING they’ve, aside from their friendship.”
Then got here the made-for-television spectacle of an Oval Workplace assembly — the contrived appearances earlier than the cameras which have grow to be objects of acute fascination since Trump and numerous members of his cupboard berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February.
The Oval Workplace present
In between taking credit score for the Liberal Get together’s election consequence and boasting about how the Oval Workplace had been redecorated, Trump was complimentary towards Carney. Carney, in flip, referred to Trump as a “transformational president” — a neatly chosen adjective — and confused that Canada and the USA had been “stronger once we work collectively.”
Over the course of the half hour that ensued — as Trump talked about not simply Canada, however numerous different subjects, together with his grievances with Trudeau and former international affairs minister Chrystia Freeland — Carney gave the impression to be deciding in actual time stroll the road between sticking up for his nation and frightening a televised blow-up. However the prime minister was seemingly ready to strongly make a minimum of one level if — or relatively, when — Trump reiterated his need to make Canada the 51st state.
“If I’ll,” Carney stated, “as you understand from actual property, there are some locations which might be by no means on the market.”
“That is true,” Trump stated, seemingly charmed by Carney’s enchantment to his earlier profession.

“And having met with the house owners of Canada over the course of the marketing campaign, the final a number of months, it is not on the market, will not be on the market ever.”
Twenty minutes later, after Trump had declined to let the matter drop utterly — “by no means say by no means,” he stated at a pair factors — Carney underlined his level.
“Respectfully,” Carney stated, “Canadians’ view on this isn’t going to vary.”
There have been different moments of refined pushback, however the headline second of the day was understandably the prime minister’s assertion that this country is not for sale — an announcement that was exceptional for the truth that it even wanted to be stated.
There may be solely all the things else that must be settled.
‘Redefining the connection’
Nevertheless completely different the occupant of the Oval Workplace, the fundamental financial and safety realities stay the identical. And so there stays a necessity for this nation and its prime minister to take care of a working relationship with the USA and its president.
Even in a world the place Canada builds new alliances and diversifies its commerce, it would nonetheless be obligatory — and preferable — for Canada and the USA to work collectively in some capability (greater than seemingly some vital capability).
However the brand new parameters of that relationship are nonetheless unclear.
Throughout a information convention in Washington following his assembly with U.S. President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Mark Carney stated he’s making the case for tariffs to be eliminated and that ‘appreciable efforts’ have been made to extend border safety, particularly relating to fentanyl. Carney added there’s ‘extra work to do’ in making the case that tariffs aren’t good for People both.
Requested whether or not there was something Carney may do to persuade the USA to drop its tariffs on Canadian items, Trump merely stated, “no.” Requested what concessions he was looking for from Canada, Trump solely stated, “friendship.”
Trump advised he needed to get to a spot the place the USA didn’t buy any autos that had been made in Canada — one thing that might seemingly require the whole disentanglement of a totally built-in auto sector. The president stated he did not wish to import any metal or aluminum from Canada. He referred to the commerce deal he signed with Canada in Mexico in 2019 as each “good” and “transitional.”
On the very least, Trump appeared kindly disposed towards his nation’s northern neighbour.
“No matter something, we will be buddies with Canada,” he stated.
Not all Canadians would solely agree with that sentiment proper now.
Talking to reporters on the Canadian Embassy after a working lunch with the president and his workforce, Carney stated the 2 sides had a “very constructive” and “wide-ranging” dialogue. He stated he was “heartened” by how “concrete” the dialog was.
However Carney additionally started his media availability by saying that, “actually as we speak marked the tip of the start of a means of the USA and Canada redefining that relationship of working collectively.” Along with underlining his central premise — that Canada’s outdated relationship with the USA is “over” — this was a passing reference to something Winston Churchill said after the Second Battle of El Alamein, an allied victory that got here when the Second World Struggle was nonetheless three years away from being over.
In different phrases, there’s a lengthy approach to go — and way more to determine than may presumably be settled in a single afternoon on the White Home.
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