WASHINGTON--Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited the White House on Tuesday for his first talks with Donald Trump and bluntly told the U.S. president that Canada would never be for sale.
Carney, who won the April 28 election on a promise to push back against U.S. tariffs and talk of annexation, later said he had also asked Trump to stop referring in public to Canada as the 51st state. Overall, Carney termed the meeting as constructive, and said the two sides would start serious talks on a new relationship he insists is needed in the wake of the tariffs.
Trump told reporters the meeting was "great" and noted that he and Carney get along. "I think the relationship is going to be very strong."
Although Carney has repeatedly called Trump's actions a betrayal, the two leaders showed little animosity during an opening session at the Oval Office where both men praised each other in front of reporters before meeting privately.Trump said the two sides would not be discussing Canada becoming part of the United States, but said it would be "a wonderful marriage."
Carney put down the annexation idea firmly."It's not for sale, it won't be for sale - ever," he said.
"Never say never, never say never," Trump said.
Trump, whose tariff policy has rattled world markets, had said he and Carney would discuss "tough points," an allusion to the president's belief that the United States can do without Canadian products, a point that he made at length during the Oval Office conversation.
The meeting never appeared at risk of degenerating into the acrimonious exchanges that marked the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in February. That encounter has served as a warning for other world leaders about the delicate dance they face in negotiating with Trump.
"Regardless of anything, we're going to be friends with Canada. Canada is a very special place to me," Trump said before the private meeting with Carney, adding that the United States would always protect Canada.
The Canadian dollar rose to a near seven-month high against its U.S. counterpart as investors assessed Carney's visit.
