Carney hits back at Trump over trade taunts: 'stop trying to be tough'
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney criticized recent provocations from the Trump administration, urging the US to shift from memes and posturing to real negotiations. On Tuesday, he mentioned that trade discussions could be renewed if the US showed sincere intent, while accusing them of pursuing terms harmful to Canadian industries. His comments came after the US launched a series of attacks following stalled trade talks on August 21, including Trump's proposal to rename Lake Ontario 'Lake America' and mocking social media posts aimed at Canada. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remarked that Canada can't compete with the US economy, which is 13 times bigger, while US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth mocked Canadian female cadets online, leading Carney to call his post "beneath their office." This back-and-forth highlights the worsening relationship between the two countries, centered around trade disputes.
Key facts
- Canadian PM Mark Carney told the Trump administration to 'stop doing memes, stop throwing shade and stop trying to be tough'.
- Carney said US-Canada trade talks could resume if Washington became serious about negotiations.
- Carney accused the US of pursuing terms that could leave Canadian industries 'gradually wound down in Canada and wiped out'.
- Trade talks collapsed on August 21.
- Trump proposed renaming Lake Ontario to 'Lake America'.
- US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Canada could not go 'tit-for-tat' with a US economy 13 times larger.
- US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth posted an image from a cadet training centre in British Columbia showing two young women in uniform, adding 'this is real'.
- Carney called Hegseth's post 'beneath their office'.
Entities
Institutions
- Trump administration
- US Treasury
- US Department of War
Locations
- Canada
- United States
- Lake Ontario
- British Columbia