BREAKING: Carney asks Trump to stop calling Canada '51st state'

In a press conference following his meeting with President Trump on Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney revealed that he formally asked the President to stop referring to Canada as “the 51st state.”

“Yes. Today. Exactly what you just said,” Carney told reporters when asked if he had raised the issue. “I’ve been very clear consistently… the President understands that we’re having negotiations between sovereign nations and we will only pursue a deal that’s in the best interest of Canada, not just in the short term but in the medium and long term for Canada.”

Carney said Trump has “made known his wish” about Canada becoming the 51st state, but added firmly: “I’ve been clear throughout on behalf of Canadians—this will never happen. Canada is not for sale and never will be for sale.”

The meeting between the two leaders, held in Washington, included broad discussions on trade, tariffs, and international cooperation. “We agreed to have further discussions in the coming weeks and are looking forward to meeting at the G7 meetings in Alberta,” Carney said, describing the tone as constructive.

Asked whether the talks yielded any tangible results on trade or tariffs, Carney said that while no immediate breakthroughs occurred, progress was made. “I was not expecting that there would be any white smoke,” he noted.

“These are negotiations... they’re very complex. We had very comprehensive, tangible exchanges of views, and there will be additional meetings... both between ministers and officials, and also between the President and myself.”

Turning to domestic concerns, Carney was asked about Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s proposal to hold a referendum on Alberta sovereignty. “Canada is strong when we all work together as Canadians, and I’m an Albertan,” he replied. “I deeply believe in Canada... Canada is stronger when we work together.”

One reporter referenced Carney’s previous remark that Trump “wanted to break us in order to own us,” asking whether that remained his assessment following Monday’s meeting. “Well, we’re strong,” Carney said. “Canada is becoming stronger and stronger day after day, week after week with the new government in place. So I think he will be disappointed.”

Despite the tension, Carney said he came away from the meeting feeling cautiously optimistic about the bilateral relationship. “It was a constructive meeting,” he said. “I feel better about the relations in the sense of... the posture or position the President took towards us, [and] the breadth of discussion and how concrete the discussions were.”

Carney also emphasized that the two leaders discussed global geopolitical issues and shared strategic concerns—another positive sign for the broader relationship. “We have more, a lot more work to do,” he said. “I’m not trying to suggest in any respect that we had one meeting and everything changed—but now we’re engaged, and very fully engaged.”