Carney calls 1st official call with Trump 'cordial' and 'positive,' but tariffs still expected next week
CBC
Prime Minister Mark Carney says U.S. President Donald Trump respected Canada's sovereignty when the two leaders spoke on the phone Friday, marking a shift in the relationship — at least for now.
"Perhaps there was a different impression before about how strong Canada really is," he said during a news conference in Montreal.
Carney, who was sworn in as prime minister nine days before triggering an election, said the call was "cordial" and "positive." While the men's paths had crossed before, it was the first time they spoke as leaders of the neighbouring countries.
Earlier in the day, Trump described his conversation with Carney as "very productive."
"I just finished speaking with Prime Minister Mark Carney," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
That one line is notable in its own right given Trump repeatedly called former prime minister Justin Trudeau governor as part of his annexation taunts.
"We agree on many things and will be meeting immediately after Canada's upcoming election to work on elements of politics, business and other factors that will end up being great for both the United States of America and Canada," Trump wrote.
The U.S. president's statement suggests he thinks that Carney will still be prime minister after Canadians cast their ballots April 28.
Speaking in the Oval office later in the day, Trump called Carney by his first name and described their conversation in glowing terms.
"We had a very good conversation," Trump said. "Mark called me today at 10 a.m. … we had a very, very good talk. He's going through an election now and we'll see what happens."
Carney previously said he'd be open to a conversation if the president, who has repeatedly said that Canada should become the 51st state, respects Canada's sovereignty.
Asked if he trusted Trump's positive review of the call or whether it was a negotiation tactic, Carney said "there's always a strategy in a negotiation."
Trump's response was remarkable by how normal its tone was. However, the president is notoriously unpredictable and results-driven, meaning what he says and what he eventually does can be very different.
Trump also celebrated a "very productive meeting" with Trudeau at Mar-a-Lago last year — then, days later, he began mocking the former prime minister.
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