Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told the Trump administration Tuesday to stop mocking Canada and return to serious negotiations, escalating a public fight over trade that has grown sharper since talks broke down nearly two weeks ago.
"When the Americans stop doing memes, stop throwing shade and stop trying to be tough, and start being serious about having those discussions, we can have those discussions," Carney said. "It's not constructive, but that's their democracy."
Carney said the US approach in the talks would have left Canadian industries operating effectively as subsidiaries of American companies, or facing terms under which they would be gradually wound down and wiped out. "We're not going to — of course, we're not going to accept those terms," he said.
According to ABC News, the breakdown in negotiations on Aug. 21 was followed by a series of provocations from Washington. President Trump moved to rename Lake Ontario "Lake America" and taunted Canada on social media. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Canada could not go "tit for tat" with an economy 13 times larger. U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth posted an image online of two female cadets at a British Columbia training center, mocking the Canadian military. Carney called the post "beneath their office." The Pentagon stood by it Tuesday, saying, "The X post speaks for itself."
Carney said the US sought an uncompetitive deal for key industries including autos, while also pushing for changes affecting French-language and cultural protections. He said any one of those issues was enough to block an agreement. Washington also sought limits on Canada's future trade deals with other countries. "Canada is a sovereign state. We will strike free trade deals with the countries we wish to strike free trade deals," Carney said.
He acknowledged there had been elements of mutual benefit in the talks before they collapsed, but did not elaborate. Carney was also coming off a political boost at home. His Liberal Party swept three special elections Monday, including a decisive win in Chicoutimi-Le Fjord, Quebec, where the Conservatives fell to third place. The victories brought the Liberals to 173 seats in the 343-seat House of Commons.
Nelson Wiseman, a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Toronto, said Trump's annexation threats carry particular weight in Quebec, where Carney's win was especially strong.
