At a rather tense meeting towards the end, Donald Trump dug his heels on his tariff policy. Trump argued that the US did not want Canadian cars and steel “because we make it ourselves.”
Carney solidified his message that “Canada will never sell” and pushed him to win the election last week, where Trump said “Never Say Never” – Carney “never” spoke to reporters. During the meeting, Trump became interested in making Canada the 51st US state, saying, “It’s going to be a beautiful marriage,” adding, “I know how time is.”
The tone was friendly before things were put in a bit of danger. Trump wants to have a “friendship” with Canada, calling it a “very special place,” while Carney called it a “transforming president,” and said he’s getting stronger when both countries work together.
Trump said the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will be engraved during his first term in office and will expire next year. However, he said he is not trying to expand the free trade agreement. Trump said he will consider renegotiating a trade deal but will question Carney’s follow-up “if it needs to be.”
Leaving his ties with Canada, Trump said Beijing’s economy is “deeply struggling” due to the tariffs he brought in. China wants to negotiate a trade deal to end tariffs, he said.
The US president also made a “very big” announcement that “either Thursday or Friday or Monday” ahead of his trip to the Middle East, saying it was “large enough to get it.” He says it will be “one of the most important announcements made over the years on a particular subject.”
In the Middle East, Trump also said the US would stop bombing Yemen’s Houtsis bombing “effectively and quickly.” He told reporters: “They don’t want to fight. We respect that and stop the bombing.”