Trump live: Carney reiterated Canada ‘is not for sale’ during ‘constructive discussion’ with president
Canadian prime minister’s Oval Office test comes a week after being elected on an anti-Trump platform
President Donald Trump and newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney came face-to-face at the White House on Tuesday for a high-stakes meeting.
Just days after winning an election campaign with an aggressive focus on Trump, Carney said he would make a bid for a comprehensive deal on trade and national security, while hoping to reset frayed U.S.-Canada relations.
Trump, meanwhile, played the upper hand, claiming the U.S. doesn’t need ‘anything’ from Canada except ‘friendship,’ but Canada needs ‘everything’ from the U.S.
The high-stakes meeting between the two leaders is set against the backdrop of Trump’s repeated threats to annex Canada and the imposition of sweeping 25 percent tariffs.
During their Oval Office meeting, Trump once again said he would like to see Canada become the 51st state.
But, Carney pushed back, saying Canada is “not for sale” and “won’t be for sale, ever.” He reiterated that Canadians will never change their mind about joining the U.S.
“Never say never,” Trump responded.
Carney mouthed the words “never” to the press.
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Trump: 'I'm not sure what Carney wants to see me about'
Mark Carney said last week he is going to Washington to “get the best deal for Canada,” and attempt to alleviate the “immediate trade pressures” between the two nations.
Trump attempted to downplay the meeting on Monday. “I’m not sure what he wants to see me about,” he said, before conceding: “I guess he wants to make a deal. Everybody does.”
In full: Trump declares two new ‘national holidays’ – but Americans won’t be getting the day off
President Donald Trump has announced two national holidays for Americans to commemorate U.S. victories in the First and Second World Wars - but has made clear they won’t be days off for Americans.
The Republican made the announcement on his Truth Social platform on Monday, declaring that May 8 and November 11 would be marked as public holidays to honor the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945 and the signing of the armistice that brought an end to the First World War in 1918 respectively.
“We won two world wars, but we never took credit for it – Everyone else does! All over the world, the allies are celebrating the victory we had in World War II,” Trump wrote.
Joe Sommerlad has the story:
Trump declares two new ‘national holidays’ – but Americans won’t get time off
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Carney’s White House visit ‘to check a box,’ official says
Mark Carney’s first Oval Office visit as Canadian prime minister is “really just to check a box,” a White House official told Politico under the condition of anonymity.
Other members of Trump’s team also appeared indifferent ahead of the 11.45 a.m. meeting on Tuesday.
“Just another world leader coming to visit. One of many,” another White House staffer told the outlet.
“No bells and whistles for the new guy,” a third official said.
Watch: Trump’s 100% foreign film tariffs explained
Treasury Secretary grilled by lawmakers about tariffs
On Capitol Hill, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent faced tough questions from lawmakers about the president’s tariff plan, which has rattled U.S. stock markets and concerned consumers.
Bessent told lawmakers there have not been any negotiations with China on tariffs despite Trump claiming there have been talks.
However, he did say there have been negotiations with 17 out of 18 of the U.S.’s largest trading partners.
White House caught off guard by Hegseth’s request to cancel weapons supply to Ukraine
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly blocked military aid flights to Ukraine within days after Donald Trump entered office without the administration knowing.
An order from the U.S. military told freight airlines at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware and a U.S. base in Qatar to halt 11 flights loaded with artillery shells and other weapons bound for Ukraine, according to Reuters.
That verbal order reportedly came from Hegseth’s office, according to U.S. Transportation Command records reviewed by Reuters, sparking mass confusion across Washington, D.C. and in Kyiv, underscoring what officials and critics have warned is a Pentagon in disarray and driven by haphazard decision-making .
White House caught off guard by Hegseth’s request to cancel weapons supply to Ukraine
Trump complains about US relationship with Canada moments before meeting Carney
Just moments before he is expected to meet with Mark Carney, the newly elected Prime Minister of Canada, Trump took to Truth Social to complain about the unfair balance between Canada and the U.S.
“I look forward to meeting the new Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney. I very much want to work with him, but cannot understand one simple TRUTH — Why is America subsidizing Canada by $200 Billion Dollars a year, in addition to giving them FREE Military Protection, and many other things?”
“We don’t need their Cars, we don’t need their Energy, we don’t need their Lumber, we don’t need ANYTHING they have, other than their friendship, which hopefully we will always maintain. They, on the other hand, need EVERYTHING from us! The Prime Minister will be arriving shortly and that will be, most likely, my only question of consequence.”
Watch live: Donald Trump and Canadian prime minister Mark Carney meet for crunch trade talks
Donald Trump welcomes Mark Carney to the White House
President Donald Trump welcomed Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to the White House for the first time on Tuesday.
The two shook hands and smiled in a brief photo-op before heading inside the White House for a more formal meeting.
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