At his first meeting with newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, U.S. President Donald Trump said his country will continue friendly relations with Canada, but added that he would still like to see the country join the United States.
“I still believe that, but it takes two to tango,” he said from the Oval Office on May 6.
“Regardless of anything, we’re going to be friends with Canada. Canada is a very special place,” he added.
Carney responded to Trump’s comment, saying, “as you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale.” He said the “real opportunity” for the two countries is in their current partnership, and that Ottawa is committed to increasing investments in defence and playing a larger part in NATO.
“Never say never,” Trump said, referring to Carney’s remark that Canada would never be for sale.
Trump said Canadians would see advantages from joining the United States, citing lower taxes and a free military, saying “which, honestly we give you essentially anyway.” He added that the two leaders would not discuss the idea of the 51st state during their meeting, “unless somebody wants to discuss it.”
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When asked by a reporter if Carney’s comments about Canada not being for sale would make discussions more difficult, Trump said, “No, not at all. Time will tell, it’s only time.”
“I say, never say never. I’ve had many, many things that were not doable, and they ended up being doable and only doable in a very friendly way. But if it’s to everybody’s benefit,” he said.
Though the two leaders ventured into the thorny topic in front of the cameras, the matter remained civil and did not escalate. “We had a little blow up with someone else,” Trump said, referencing his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February.
Trump and Carney both praised each other at the start of the meeting. Trump congratulated Carney on his election victory and called it “one of greatest comebacks in the history of politics, maybe even greater than mine.” The Liberal Party was trailing Conservatives by 20 points in the polls in late 2024, but managed to win a strong minority government.
Meanwhile, Carney thanked Trump for his hospitality and “above all” his leadership.
“You’re a transformational president,” he said, citing his “relentless focus on the American worker, securing your borders, ending the scourge of fentanyl and other opioids, and securing the world.”
This is a developing story, updates will follow.
Original News Source Link – Epoch Times
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