President Donald Trump trolled Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney with a 51st-state quip as the two leaders met in the Oval Office on Tuesday before talking tariffs, trade, and Iron Dome defense.
Trump interrupted Carney’s opening remarks when he stumbled while talking about the second anniversary of the Hamas Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attacks on Israel, as he listed key topics including “disabling Iran as a force of terror, and now and I’m running out of time, but this is many respects the most important …”
That is when Trump jumped in mid-sentence.
“Merger of Canada and the United States,” Trump interjected with a laugh, before adding, “I’m only kidding.”
Carney chuckled.
“That wasn’t where I was going,” Carney said, acknowledging the witty repartee.
“I know,” Trump said.
Carney then picked up on the serious note of “this solemn day of commemoration of the October horrific attack” of Hamas terrorists on Israel.
The lighthearted moment underscored the close ties between Washington and Ottawa, even as the two leaders discussed weightier issues from Middle East diplomacy to global security cooperation and have been sparring verbally in the public, the media, and on social media about their “conflicts” on tariffs and trade.
Carney tried to steer Trump off the word “conflicts” several times in the question and answer session with the media, preferring to refer to their tariffs and trade disagreements as exchanges between “competitors” on trade.
“He is a very strong, very good leader,” Trump said, offering up some high praise of Carney, who he has often criticized. “He’s a nice man, but he can be nasty. He can be very nasty. Maybe as nasty as anybody, I think.
“I deal with lots of leaders all over the world. He is a world-class leader. He’s a man that knows what he wants.”
When asked at the end of the press conference, “If he’s a great man and you want to do a deal with Canada, why aren’t you?” Trump deadpanned, drawing huge laughs in the Oval Office: “Because I want to be a great man, too.”
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