Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said emphatically Tuesday that Canada is “not for sale” and “won’t be for sale, ever” in an Oval Office meeting with President Trump, moments after Mr. Trump called the border between the U.S. and Canada “artificial” and romanticized the idea of Canada joining the U.S.
Mr. Trump said he and Carney wouldn’t be discussing the U.S. acquiring Canada unless “somebody wants to discuss it,” but said there would be “tremendous” benefits to Canada in the event of a “wonderful marriage” between the two countries. The president has repeatedly floated the idea of acquiring Canada, despite Canada’s repeated rejection of the concept. Tuesday’s meeting at the White House was the first one the two leaders have had since Carney’s Liberal Party was victorious in last week’s federal election.
“As a real estate developer, you know, I’m a real estate developer at heart,” Mr. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “When you get rid of that artificially drawn line … when you look at that beautiful formation when it’s together, I’m a very artistic person.”
Carney interjected, adopting language he believed Mr. Trump would understand.
“As you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale,” Carney said. “We’re sitting in one right now, Buckingham Palace that you visited, as well. And having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign the last several months, it’s not for sale, it won’t be for sale, ever. But the opportunity is in the partnership and what we can build together.”
Asked if Carney’s rejection of the idea makes trade and other negotiations more difficult, Mr. Trump insisted, “no, not at all.” But the U.S. president isn’t giving up on the idea, despite a lack of buy-in from Canada’s leadership and people. “But I say, ‘never say never,'” Mr. Trump said.
Carney, who has pledged to stand firm against the U.S. president, despite tensions on trade and borders, told reporters after the meeting that he asked Mr. Trump to stop calling Canada the 51st state.
Credit: CBSNEWS