WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday hosted newly minted Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the White House during a time of particularly uneasy relations between the North American neighbors, as the U.S. leader levies tariffs on Canada and pushes to make the sovereign country a U.S. state.

What You Need To Know

  • President Donald Trump on Tuesday hosted newly minted Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the White House during a time of particularly uneasy relations between the North American neighbors, as the U.S. leader levies tariffs on Canada and pushes to make the sovereign country a U.S. state
  • Trump piled some praise on his Canadian counterpart, calling him a “talented person” and congratulating him on his election victory late last month, which he declared to be ”one of the greatest comebacks in the history of politics"
  • Carney's Liberal Party scored a stunning comeback victory last month in a vote widely seen as a rebuke of Trump

  • The Republican president has shattered a decades-old alliance by saying he wants to make Canada the 51st U.S. state and levying steep tariffs; Carney made clear that Canada is not for sale
  • Trump in the Oval Office said he was unsure about the necessity of the nearly five-year-old USMCA trade agreement going forward

But sitting side-by-side in the Oval Office, any tension that exists did not stop Trump from piling some praise on his Canadian counterpart, calling him a “talented person” and congratulating him on his election victory late last month, which Trump declared to be ”one of the greatest comebacks in the history of politics.”

“Maybe even greater than mine,” said Trump, who lost his reelection bid to former President Joe Biden in 2020 before coming back to win a second term last year. 

The new Canadian prime minister defeated populist Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre in the country’s federal election last week in what marked a major turnaround for Carney and the Liberal Party — once considered destined to lose. Trump was thought to have become a significant factor in the election, and Carney did not shy away from criticism of the U.S. president’s actions, declaring that his country’s “old relationship” with the U.S. is “over." Carney used his victory speech last week to speak of “American betrayal.” 

Trump’s affirming words for the Canadian leader extended to the country itself, with the president noting that the U.S. and Canada love one another. He responded “friendship” when asked by reporters what he would like Canada to concede in talks on tariffs and trade, even after he bashed the country on social media an hour earlier for, according to the president, not having anything the U.S. needs. 

“Regardless of anything, we're going to be friends with Canada,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “Canada is a very special place to me.”

Still, the pair did not shy from the cloud hanging over the Oval Office meeting – Trump’s desire to make Canada the 51st state, something he repeated over the weekend in an interview with NBC News, although he said he didn’t think it would come to using military force to do so. 

“I still believe that,” Trump told reporters at the top of the meeting when asked about annexing Canada. “But, you know, it takes two to tango.” 

Carney looked to appeal to his U.S. counterpart’s real estate background, telling Trump that some places — such as the White House and Buckingham Palace — are never for sale. Canada, he said, is one of those things. 

The Canadian leader then went on to talk about how his country is putting more emphasis on its security and pulling its weight in the NATO alliance, something that is particularly important to Trump. The U.S. president agreed. 

“Canada is stepping up the military participation,” Trump said, before adding one more thought on taking in Canada: “But never say never, never say never.” 

Carney later added that Canada’s view on such an acquisition is “not going to change.” 

On trade, Carney said at a news conference Friday that his "government would fight to get the best deal for Canada" and "take all the time necessary" to do so, even as Canada pursues a parallel set of talks to deepen relations with other allies and lessen its commitments with the U.S.

Trump has maintained that the U.S. doesn't need anything from Canada, as he placed 25% tariffs on steel, aluminum and car imports from the country. Goods that fall under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement — agreed to in Trump’s first term — are exempt from his other wide-scale international levies, but those outside of the agreement face higher rates, including energy and potash. 

Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports are from Canada. Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. 

Canada has hit back with its own fees in response to Trump’s tariffs, including a 25% duty on U.S. vehicles that don’t fall under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, known as USMCA.

Trump in the Oval Office said he was unsure about the necessity of the nearly five-year-old USMCA going forward, although he noted it “served a very good purpose” in getting rid of the previous agreement, the North America Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA. 

“NAFTA was the worst trade deal in the history of our country, probably in the history of the world, and this was a transitional deal,” he said of the USMCA. “And we'll see what happens.”

He noted the agreement is already set to be reviewed in 2026, and Carney also acknowledged that things would need to change with it.  

The U.S. exported $349.4 billion worth of goods to Canada last year while it imported $412.7 billion worth from the country, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.