On Tuesday, May 6th, US President Trump (Donald Trump) met with the newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the White House.
Just minutes before the meeting, Trump posted on the social media platform Truth Social, stating that he was ready to ask Carney a tricky question.
The meeting between the two leaders occurred amidst Trump’s repeated suggestion for Canada to become the 51st state of the United States, along with the background of imposing a 25% tariff on Canadian goods. Trump’s proposal for Canada to become the 51st state faced strong opposition from the Canadian political sphere.
A few days ago, Carney won the election with an anti-Trump stance. He aims to achieve a comprehensive agreement with the United States on trade and national security and hopes to revive the tense US-Canada relationship.
Last week, Carney stated that he went to Washington to “fight for the best deal for Canada.”
On Monday, Trump told the media that he was unsure of the purpose of Carney’s visit. “I guess he wants to make a deal. Everyone wants to.” Trump later added.
Just minutes before welcoming Carney on Tuesday, Trump wrote, “I look forward to meeting the new Canadian Prime Minister Carney. I am eager to work with him, but I cannot understand a simple fact – why does the US subsidize Canada by $200 billion every year, and also give them free military protection and other benefits?
“We do not need their cars, we do not need their energy, we do not need their lumber, we do not need anything from them. Except for their friendship, which is a friendship we hope to always maintain.
“But on the other hand, they need everything from us! The Prime Minister is coming soon, and this is likely to be my only important issue.”