Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney meets with US President Donald Trump CPAC
International

Trump mocks Carney and Canada in White House political theatre — no deal on tariffs

'We have no men in woman's sports'

James Snell

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met with U.S. President Donald Trump today at the White House in what both sides described as a cordial, constructive encounter.

But despite effusive praise and some rhetorical flourishes, the meeting produced no concrete breakthroughs on the core trade disputes between the two nations.

Trump lauded Carney as a “world-class leader,” “a good man,” and “a tough negotiator,” while telling him “we have great love for each other” even amid “natural conflict.” 

Trump also said in front of Carney, who has a transgender child, "We have no men in women's sports. We're not going to take your child away and change the sex of your child. We're not going to do things like that."

At one point, when reporters pressed why a deal hadn’t been reached yet, Trump quipped, “Because I want to be a great man, too,” drawing some laughter in the room. 

Trump also revived a long-standing joke about the “merger” of Canada and the U.S., referring to Canada as the “51st state,” though Carney declined to play along.

Carney’s primary objective had been securing relief from U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum, autos, lumber, and related sectors. But Trump refrained from offering any firm commitments or tariff rollbacks. 

Instead, he floated the possibility of renegotiating portions of the U.S.–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) or carving out separate deals for individual countries.

Domestically, Carney is coming under increasing criticism for failing to force tangible gains. Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre and others have accused him of overpromising and underdelivering. 

Provincial leaders and industrial groups in hard-hit sectors warn that without tariff relief, jobs and key industries may suffer further. Some analysts also argue that Carney’s tactical concessions—like dropping counter-tariffs and scrapping a digital services tax aimed at U.S. tech firms—may have weakened his negotiating position.

In short: the Oval Office meeting served as diplomacy theatre more than a deal-making session.