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Darline Graham on August 21, 2026 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Photo by Win McNamee /Getty ImagesU.S. President Donald Trump has accused Prime Minister Mark Carney of lying about the terms of the failed trade deal with Canada in a Tuesday social media post.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 AccountorOn Truth Social, Trump wrote: “I would never interfere with Canadians speaking French! In fact, I have never even thought of doing such a stupid thing.”He went on: “This lie was made up by a weak and ineffective Prime Minister in an attempt to gain political support, which he has totally lost, from the people of Quebec.”The U.S. president concluded the post by writing: “I love French Canadians!”Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againHis comments come after Carney said on Monday that the French language was seen as an “irritant” by Americans during trade deal negotiations, but stressed that “here in Canada, these are rights.”I would never interfere with Canadians speaking French! In fact, I have never even thought of doing such a stupid thing. This lie was made up by a weak and ineffective Prime Minister in an attempt to gain political support, which he has totally lost, from the people of Quebec. I… pic.twitter.com/3XIHLuufiX— Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) August 25, 2026The PM made the comments at a news conference in Levis, Quebec, alongside Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette.“For Americans, French language, Francophone culture, Canadian culture, these are irritants,” he said in French. “Here in Quebec, here in Canada, these are rights. So there is an enormous gap between our perspective and the U.S. perspective.”Carney had also touched on the issue on Saturday, when he said he had walked away from a deal that included “threats to French language and culture.”On Monday, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer called the accusations “a funny, fake story,” and said the disagreement was over Canada “forc(ing) American tech companies to take their earnings and give a percentage to their competitors in Canada.”Canada’s laws protecting the French language include Bill 109, passed in Quebec last December, which compels streaming platforms to prioritize French-language content, and the Online Streaming Act, which became law in 2023 and requires such platforms to invest in and promote Canadian content. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks about the trade dispute with the United States at the Davie Shipyard in Levis, Quebec, Canada on August 24, 2026. Photo by ANDREJ IVANOV /AFP via Getty ImagesThe Globe and Mail reported on Monday that U.S. negotiators had demanded Canada drop requirements for American streaming companies to promote Canadian content, including French language content, citing a senior government source.The report says Canada rejected the demand, which was one of the reasons Carney’s team walked away from negotiations.The PM concluded his comments on the topic on Monday by saying: “The French language, the French culture is not a funny fact. It is a right.”Meanwhile, Trump’s Truth Social post about the matter comes amid a series of attacks on Canada from the U.S. president, including a claim that the U.S. is giving “serious consideration” to changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America.The United States is giving serious consideration to changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America in that we don’t expect to doing much business with Ontario any longer. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP( TS: Aug 25 2026, 6:58 AM ET )… pic.twitter.com/X5TxYS8TaV— Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) August 25, 2026Also on Tuesday morning, the U.S. president penned posts claiming that Canada has been “ripping off” the U.S. “for decades,” with accusations including 400 per cent tariffs on farmers and driving “many wonderful U.S. companies out of business.”“I deal with many countries, and Canada is easily the most difficult and unreasonable,” Trump added.In a separate post, he claimed the U.S. has lost “60 billion dollars a year” to Canada over the last 10 years.These latest comments echo those made by U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Monday, in which he accused Canada of “unfair” trade practices and vowed the U.S. will “fight back” after trade negotiations fell apart last week.Speaking during an appearance at a manufacturing company in Maine, Vance criticized Canada’s supply management around dairy products and said: “Canada and China have been the two worst countries when it comes to trade policy anywhere in the world.”He also referred to Canada as a “state” — echoing Trump’s “51st state” rhetoric — though he said the comment was a “Freudian slip.” U.S. Vice President JD Vance delivers remarks at CompoTech, a defense technology and advanced manufacturing company, in Brewer, Maine on August 24, 2026. Photo by ANNA MONEYMAKER /POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesTensions between Canada and the U.S. escalated after the trade deal between Canada and the U.S. collapsed last week. Carney walked away from negotiations on Friday, citing unfair last-minute demands and accusing the U.S. administration of introducing measures that would restrict Canada’s ability to do deals with other countries.Speaking at a press conference on Saturday morning, the PM said that Canada is now “at war” after being “attacked” by Trump’s steep tariffs.As a result of the collapsed negotiations, 50 per cent tariffs came into effect at midnight on Saturday, impacting $28 billion worth of Canadian goods. In response, the federal government has announced dollar-for-dollar counter tariffs that will hit the U.S. starting Sept. 8.Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here. 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