Following Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s statement that Canada was “at war” with the United States and his decision to walk away from a proposed trade agreement last month, Canada quickly became the subject of mockery in Washington.
Since then, Carney has been somewhat reluctant to clarify the situation. He has sidestepped requests from Official Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre to reconvene Parliament and share specifics about the failed negotiations.
‘How could we possibly be at war with Canada? Are they planning to deploy their two submarines from the Edmonton Mall against us?’ one official quipped.
While Carney has suggested that the U.S. was demanding concessions that jeopardized Canadian sovereignty and threatened vital industries like auto manufacturing, U.S. officials have a different account.
‘Best deal available’
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer firmly rejected Carney’s claims that President Donald Trump sought to undermine Quebec culture or Canadian bilingualism.
“As I’ve stated before, we had essentially presented Canada with the best deal available to any nation globally,” Greer told CBC News after Carney stepped back from the negotiations.
When Carney resurfaced on Tuesday, he addressed something else entirely: the memes. “When the Americans cease their meme-making and start taking discussions seriously, then we can have those discussions,” he remarked to journalists.
Yet, instead of quieting the internet’s mockery, Carney’s remarks seemed to invite even more. American officials themselves couldn’t resist taking a jab.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent ridiculed Carney’s assertion of a “war.” “It’s quite unfortunate that Prime Minister Carney has turned this situation into a political shouting match,” Bessent stated. “We aren’t at war with Canada. What do they plan to do — launch their two submarines from the Edmonton Mall?”
Looking out for number one?
Bessent continued with a more serious tone, suggesting Carney’s approach was politically motivated. “He came to power with an anti-American, anti-Trump platform. He surged in the polls once he initiated this.” He concluded that Carney was prioritizing the interests of the Liberal Party and himself over what’s best for Canadians.
Bessent underscored the administration’s position that Canada had been offered “the best trade deal of any country worldwide” prior to Carney’s abrupt departure.
It appears Carney wasn’t the sole Canadian politician involved in the trade deal collapse. Ontario Premier Doug Ford reportedly advocated for improved recognition of Ontario’s auto industry and resisted allowing American alcohol back into Ontario’s state-run liquor stores.
Since the agreement broke down, Ford has suggested that Alberta could halt oil shipments to the U.S. — a notion he has raised before.
However, Ford’s proposal faced a significant dilemma: Ontario is dependent on Alberta oil that traverses the U.S. Enbridge’s Line 5 runs through Michigan on its way back to Canada, supplying Ontario refineries.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith swiftly dismissed Ford’s idea, cautioning that cutting Alberta Energy exports to the U.S. would be “extremely harmful to Canadians.”
Key role for American Democrat
There are valid concerns regarding other obstacles in the failed negotiations. Carney remains dedicated to Canada’s heavily protected dairy sector, opposes the revival of the Keystone XL pipeline, and shows increasing interest in trading with China. The Trump administration has also alleged that Canada uses the route to manipulate Chinese steel into the U.S. to bypass trade restrictions.
Further questions have arisen about Carney’s management of U.S. relations beyond trade issues. For instance, Maia Johnson, an American registered Democrat connected to the campaigns of Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris, was promoted to a new role in his office. Before this, she served as a “senior adviser, United States stakeholder strategy,” indicating that an American Democrat was positioned to advise Carney on U.S. affairs.
‘Manufactured’ crisis
Amidst the confusion, the Trump administration has remained consistent regarding the fate of the trade deal.
“Canada was on the verge of securing the best trade agreement in the world,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated, “and what transpired was that Canada opted to walk away. We had a handshake, the president announced it, and everyone was optimistic. Canada’s departure was purely a political move.”
Lutnick rejected Carney’s claims that Washington sought concessions related to Quebec and the French language. “Honestly, do I care about how the Quebecois communicate? It’s the least of our concerns.”
“This is all a fabrication,” he continued. “That’s why the president put out a post stating it was a complete falsehood.”
