U.S. President Donald Trump held his first meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in a friendly atmosphere, where Trump insisted that Canada should become the 51st state of the United States.
During the meeting at the White House on the 6th (local time), Trump congratulated Carney on his recent electoral victory, calling it "one of the greatest comebacks in political history."
Carney, who was elected as the leader of the Liberal Party in March, led the party to victory in the general election held on the 28th of last month. Analysts suggest that the anti-U.S. sentiment among Canadians, stirred up by Trump, contributed to the comeback victory.
The meeting was conducted in a generally mild atmosphere. Before the meeting, there were projections that Trump might treat Carney harshly, similar to how he dealt with former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
In fact, just before Carney's visit, Trump expressed on his social media platform Truth Social, "I look forward to meeting Canada’s new Prime Minister Mark Carney," while also stating, "I can’t understand why the U.S. spends $200 billion (approximately 276.4 trillion won) annually to subsidize Canada, and offers military protection and many other things for free."
However, significant issues were raised, leading to a tense exchange. Trump stated, "The U.S. does not need to import products such as Canadian cars, steel, or aluminum," adding, "We are protecting Canada militarily and will continue to do so, but that is not fair."
Additionally, when asked by a reporter if Carney could persuade Trump to withdraw tariffs, he firmly replied, "No."
Trump's assertion that Canada should become the 51st state of the United States was also reiterated that day. He said, "I still believe that, but it takes two to tango," adding that "we won't discuss it unless someone wants to discuss it."
In response, Carney referenced the White House, stating, "There are places that absolutely will never be for sale," to which Trump agreed, saying, "That’s right."
However, when questions from reporters continued, he noted, "You must never say that something is absolutely not going to happen," while Carney responded, "The Canadian mindset will not change."
Trump positively assessed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and answered "No" when asked if he would withdraw from the agreement.
However, he explained that the three countries are set to review the USMCA next year, and that it could be amended or repealed depending on those negotiations.
The USMCA, concluded during Trump's first administration, requires the three countries to decide on the agreement’s extension through a planned review in July 2026, and will be terminated in 2036 if the three countries agree not to extend it.