Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney have never been among contenders to open a mutual admiration society. But over the weekend, their relationship descended to new, uncharted depths of mutual loathing.
The collapse of trade talks between the two North American powers was projected by both governments as a disaster of each other’s making. But in reality, Trump has far more to lose politically over the short term than Carney, with vast punitive tariffs being applied on American trade with and from Canada that could cause fresh US economic dislocation and inflation just 70-odd days before November’s midterm elections.
Shortly after 1am on Sunday, Trump fumed that “Canada wants the benefits of being a State, without being one!!!”. On Truth Social, he insisted that successive Canadian governments “have charged our great farmers, for many years, massive amounts of Tariffs. No more!!!”
But Carney gave as good as he got. In stark contrast to most other world leaders who continue trying to find ways to appease the authoritarian in the White House, the Canadian Prime Minister treated Trump as a naked emperor leading a government of total amateurs.
“They asked too much and offered too little”, he told reporters on Saturday. “You’re at war when you get attacked. We got attacked”, he claimed, adding: “We cannot accept what they’ve offered and will not give what they demand.”
