Skip to Content Subscribe Our Offers My Account Manage My Subscriptions FAQ Newsletters Canada Canadian True Crime Canadian Politics Health World Israel & Middle East Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Comics NP News Quiz New York Times Crossword Horoscopes Life Eating & Drinking Style Sponsored Play for Ontario Travel Travel Canada Travel USA Travel International Cruises Travel Essentials Culture Books Celebrity Movies Music Theatre Television Business Essentials Advice Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Buy Canadian Home Living Outdoor Living Kitchen & Dining Tech Style & Beauty Personal Care Entertainment & Hobbies Gift Guide Travel Guide Amazon Prime Day Deals Savings National Post Store More Sports Hockey Baseball Basketball Football Soccer Golf Tennis Driving Vehicle Research Reviews News Gear Guide Obituaries Place an Obituary Place an In Memoriam Classifieds Place an Ad Celebrations Working Business Ads Archives Healthing Epaper Manage Print Subscription Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ Newsletters Canada World Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Life Shopping Epaper Manage Print Subscription HomeNewsCanadaCanadian PoliticsCarney's Davos speech written at 4 a.m., Trump's volatile call with Trudeau, and other things we learned from a WSJ articlePM's quips included 'I have to deal with these guys every day' and 'We don’t have a relationship to keep!'Last updated Jul 08, 2026 You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Prime Minister Mark Carney and his wife, Diana Fox Carney arrive at Esenboga Airport to attend the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit in Ankara on July 7, 2026. Photo by MUHAMMED ABDULLAH KURTAR/POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesThis week, the Wall Street Journal published a two-part series, with the first part titled “There Is No Going Back: The Inside Story of Europe’s Rupture With America.” While it looked at the general situation in Europe, the second was all about Canada’s role, and specifically that of Prime Minister Mark Carney.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorIts headline was “The Canadian Who Steered Europe Away From the U.S.,” with the subhead: “Facing threats from Trump, Mark Carney emerged as a central figure in a project to reshape the Western alliance.”Here are six things we learned from the Journal’s story.In February 2025, Donald Trump told then-prime minister Justin Trudeau in a phone call that he might tear up a 1908 treaty that defines the boundaries between Canada and the United States.According to the Journal, who spoke to two (unnamed) people familiar with the matter, Trump then added: “I tear that up and your whole country unravels.”It also notes that when Trudeau’s envoys tried to dissuade Trump’s annexation tendencies during a dinner at Mar-a-Lago, “the president came up with a neat solution: just split the northern neighbor into two states, one red, the other blue.” FILE: Justin Trudeau and President Donald Trump at the White House in 2017.When one of Carney’s European counterparts mentioned their difficulties with the personalities in Trump’s second administration, two Canadian officials said he responded: “I have to deal with these guys every day.”And during the G20 meeting in South Africa last November, British leader Keir Starmer told the Canadian PM that the West had to salvage its relationship with America. Carney’s response: “We don’t have a relationship to keep!”According to the Journal’s sources, shortly before Carney took power the Canadian government had reached out to Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner for advice on how to refute Trump’s unsupported claims that Canada was a major source of fentanyl. Kushner suggested a video to persuade the president that Canada was serious about border security.However, the paper added: “Instead of placating Trump, it seemed to fuel his interest in revisiting the placement of the border.”The article mentions that Carney, on his way from China to Switzerland for the World Economic Forum annual meeting last January, “woke at 4 a.m. to write his Davos speech in a single two-hour sitting” during a stopover in Doha.The speech drew rapturous applause for his rallying cry for Western nations to stand up to great powers or “be on the menu,” but Trump struck back the next day when he said “Canada lives because of the United States,” adding: “Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.“ Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney delivers a speech during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on January 20, 2026. Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI /AFP via Getty ImagesThe article notes that, under Carney, Canadian senior officials started reading clinical studies on impulsivity to understand Trump’s psychology, as well as biographies focusing on the president’s business and media career.“They speculated that his bid for Canada was a negotiating tactic aimed at ‘price discovery.’ In other words, propose an outrageous idea and test the market reaction.”According to the article, Carney’s team has been quietly pitching his ideas to Andy Burnham, the British Labour MP and former Mayor of Manchester considered likely to be that country’s next prime minister. Burnham’s chief economic adviser, Andy Haldane, was once Carney’s Bank of England deputy.Carney is also said to be working with Alexander Stubb, president of Finland, on an article on how their countries can navigate a shifting world order.Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. 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