Trump had Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney over at the White House this week, and the vibe was pretty tense.
No surprise there, though. Things between the two countries have been a bit rocky lately.
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Trump pushes Canada to consider becoming the 51st state
Trump’s been all about tariffs lately, throwing them around at different countries.
And apparently, he told Canada that if they really wanted to dodge those tariffs, they should just go ahead and become the 51st U.S. state.
Canada stands firm in rejecting the idea of statehood
Even with a 25 percent tariff hanging over them, Canada wasn’t budging.
Justin Trudeau already said before it was never gonna happen, and Carney made it super clear during their meeting on May 6 that Canada’s definitely not up for sale.
He compares his country to priceless national landmarks
To really drive the point home, Carney compared Canada to places like Buckingham Palace or the Oval Office.
He said, “As you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale.” Then added, “Having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign in the last several months, it’s not for sale. Won’t be for sale, ever.”
He calls out Trump for making false claims about trade
Things got a little more awkward when Trump said, “We don’t do much business with Canada.”
Carney didn’t let that slide.
“We are the largest client of the United States, in totality of all the goods,” he replied.
He also pointed out their shared auto industry, saying, “50 percent of a car that comes from Canada is American; that’s not like anywhere else in the world.”
Trump won’t take no for an answer
Even though Carney made it obvious Canada wasn’t interested, Trump wouldn’t let it go.
He said, “Never say never,” and followed it up with, “I’ve had many, many things that were not doable and ended up being doable.”
A clear reminder that Canada runs its own show
Carney wasn’t having it.
He said Canadians are “masters in our own home” and that they “can give ourselves far more than any foreign government can ever take away.”
A body language expert weighed in
After the whole thing, a body language expert named Beth Dawson gave her take.
She said Carney looked “assertive” but also “submissive” and kind of “apprehensive.”
She explained, “The elbow touch, however, shows that he wants to establish connection on equal terms. His expression is one of determination.”
And added, “Carney is not passive, but he is also careful not to come across as overly forceful and he does seem slightly intimidated.”
