‘Never say never’: Trump contradicts Carney on Canada as 51st state

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President Donald Trump on Tuesday hosted Canada’s newest prime minister, Mark Carney, at the White House in what many feared could be a tense and heated trade negotiation. 

What transpired was a cordial conversation between the two nations’ leaders on a variety of topics, including the ever-looming trade deal with Canada to resolve a trade war over Trump’s hard-line stance on reciprocity.

Since the end of 2024, Trump has seemingly joked about the Great White North joining the United States as its 51st state, but has continued to make it part of any conversation surrounding Canada. Tuesday’s discussion was no exception. Trump told the room full of U.S. and Canadian officials along with the press, “I think that there are tremendous benefits to the Canadian citizens, tremendously lower taxes, free military, which honestly, we give you essentially anyway, because we’re protecting Canada, if you ever had a problem. But I think, you know, it’s, it would really be a wonderful marriage, because it’s, it’s two places, they get along very well.”

Carney, subtly opposing Trump’s sentiment, responded, “as you know, from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale. We’re sitting in one right now (the White House), Buckingham Palace, and having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign [the] last several months, it’s not for sale.”

Trump told the prime minister and the room, “but never say never.”

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