On that meeting date, May 6, 2025, former Bank of England Governor Mark Carney sits down with then President Donald Trump, in the Oval Office. The mood around their convening was extremely tentative. With relations between Washington and Ottawa strained, the presidents and prime ministers met for a tough talk. Their argument bounced back and forth between friendliness and hostility.
Carney arrived at the White House after announcing an upcoming visit from King Charles III—a strategic move to reinforce Canada’s sovereignty amidst ongoing discussions about its future. Perhaps most telling was that Trump didn’t seem committed to starting a public fight with Carney during their exchange. This change in tone probably reflected an intent to avoid further aggravating the situation. This was especially crucial in light of previous statements regarding Canada’s possible annexation.
At the end of that meeting, Donald Trump very irresponsibly said, ‘Never say never.’ He was joking, of course, about Canada becoming the 51st state. Carney, seated next to them, audibly mouthed “never,” signaling his opposition to Trump’s claim.
After the meeting, Carney took questions from the press corps and said it wasn’t helpful to even have a conversation about the possibility of annexing. He asserted, “Canada will not be annexed by the United States,” effectively countering Trump’s earlier comments.
The dynamic of the meeting was notable. Trump dominated the conversation, speaking approximately 95% of the time while covering a range of topics from Middle East policy to infrastructure projects like high-speed rail in California. Even so, Carney didn’t pull any punches resisting Trump’s dreams of devouring Canada.
Indeed, in a rare moment of candor—though not of contrition—Trump remarked soon after the episode that US-Canada relations were at “a pretty bad low.” He remarked, “I’ve had many, many things that were not doable, and they ended up being doable, and only doable in a very friendly way,” suggesting a willingness to negotiate but a recognition of the current impasse.
Carney’s visit served as a platform for him to reiterate Canada’s stance on its independence. He made it clear that Canada’s sovereignty was “never on the market,” deploying home ownership metaphors to drive home his message.
“As you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale.” – Mark Carney
The conference concluded with Trump reiterating in no uncertain terms his trade position. He went all in, calling out the Canadian cars and Canadian steel and saying that tariffs were here to stay, even in the face of Carney’s passionate poetics.
Behind both of these leaders was some serious friction. They promised to reconvene at the upcoming G7 summit in Alberta next month—a sign that perhaps some avenue for continued conversation remains. This is after Trump had already been ambiguous on whether he would attend the summit, casting further doubt on how committed he is to his international allies.
Carney, a former teacher, experienced a huge sense of relief. He’d succeeded at his primary aim of the visit, indeed, to reassure that Canada would defend its independence as speculation over annexation intensified.
“But he is the president, and he will say what he wants.” – Mark Carney
The whole tenor of the meeting showed that both leaders understood the difficult nature of their countries’ relationship. In an unstable world order, as tensions stewed just under the surface, Trump’s comments suggested an elite contest for control over North American geopolitics was just beginning.
