Canada is ‘not for sale,’ Carney tells Trump in first face-to-face meeting

In their first face-to-face meeting on Tuesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney told U.S. President Donald Trump that Canada will never be for sale.

When reporters questioned Trump in the Oval Office on his past comments about making Canada a U.S. state, Trump — taking a tone very different from the one he’s used in past months — seemed to downplay the suggestion.

Trump said “it takes two to tango” but it would be a “wonderful marriage if it could happen.”

Carney replied to say there are some places that are not for sale and pointed to the White House as an example.

“As you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale. … And having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign last several months, it’s not for sale, it won’t be for sale ever,” the prime minister said. “But the opportunity is in the partnership and what we can build together and we have done that in the past.”

Trump still wouldn’t close the door on annexation after Carney’s remarks, adding he would “never say never,” prompting Carney to look around the room and say, “never” multiple times.

Trump said that regardless of what happens, the United States is always going to be friends with Canada.

Carney also later confirmed he asked the President to stop calling Canada the 51st state, but did not share how Trump reacted to the question. “He’s the president. He’s his own person … We’ve been very clear and I’ve been very clear publicly and consistently.”

The two leaders seemed friendly as they got set to privately discuss the ongoing trade war between the two countries and Carney told reporters he felt they had a constructive meeting and he feels better about U.S.-Canada relations.

Trump heaped praise on Carney in front of reporters at the Oval Office, saying he has a lot of respect for Carney and congratulated the prime minister on his election victory on April 28.

The public portion of the high-stakes meeting was largely cordial, with Carney calling Trump a “transformational” president and Trump referring to Carney as a “very talented person.”

“That was a great election … we were watching it with interest, and I think Canada chose a very talented person, a very good person … it’s an honour to have you at the White House and at the Oval Office,” Trump said.

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After the initial meeting, the leaders and members of their cabinets and staff had a working luncheon.

In a press conference following the meeting, Carney said they are looking forward when it comes to re-establishing a constructive relationship for negotiations to build an economic and security partnership and believes they established a good basis on Tuesday.

“That doesn’t presuppose the outcome of the negotiation, as I’ve emphasized, it’s a complex negotiation. There will be zigs and zags, difficult aspects to it, but the prospect is there,” said Carney.

Trump said he is not going to withdraw from the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) but that the leaders have things to discuss. He also said there was nothing Carney could say to him Tuesday that would convince him to drop tariffs on Canada.

Experts believe the best outcome is for Carney and Trump to set a framework to launch negotiations, but warn Canadians not to expect any decisions to scrap the tariffs.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said ahead of the meeting he believes Carney will “give it everything he can” today.

Ahead of Carney’s arrival at the White House, Trump had set a confrontational tone for the meeting. In a post on his Truth Social account, Trump repeated his criticisms of Canada and insisted the U.S. does not need Canadian cars, energy and lumber.

Trump wrote that his “only question of consequence” for Carney would be about why America is propping up the Canadian economy and providing “free” military protection.

The Canadian delegation joining Carney at the meeting includes Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, Public Safety Minister David McGuinty, Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman, Privy Council Clerk John Hannaford, chief of staff Marco Mendicino and senior adviser Lisa Jorgensen.

In addition to Trump, the U.S. side will include Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, chief of staff Susie Wiles, Homeland Security adviser Stephen Miller and U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra.