President Trump hosted Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the White House on Tuesday for their first in-person meeting since Carney\u2019s election victory.<\/p>\n
The meeting was shadowed by Trump\u2019s tariffs against Canada and his repeated musings about making the United States\u2019s neighbor to the north the 51st state, something Carney and other Canadian officials have consistently rejected.<\/p>\n
Here are five takeaways from the meeting.<\/p>\n
During an on-camera Oval Office meeting, Trump doubled down on his suggestion that Canada would benefit from becoming the 51st state even as Carney was adamant it would not happen.<\/p>\n
“I still believe that. But it takes two to tango, right?” Trump said, suggesting Canada joining the U.S. would lead to major tax cuts and other benefits for Canadian citizens.<\/p>\n
Trump indicated he and Carney would not be discussing the prospect of Canada becoming the 51st state as part of their private talks. But Carney made clear it wasn\u2019t up for discussion anyway.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s not for sale. It won’t be for sale ever, but the opportunity is in the partnership and what we can build together,” Carney said, later adding that the views of the people of Canada on the issue would not change.<\/p>\n
But Trump signaled he would not give up on the idea so easily.<\/p>\n
\u201cI say ‘never say never.’ I\u2019ve had many, many things that were not doable, and they ended up being doable,\u201d Trump said. \u201cCanada loves us, and we love Canada. That\u2019s I think the number one thing that\u2019s important. But we\u2019ll see. Over time, we\u2019ll see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump announced during his meeting with Carney that the Houthis have informed his administration they want to stop fighting and that strikes on the rebel group have been called off.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had some very good news last night. The Houthis have announced \u2026 or they announced to us at least that they don\u2019t want to fight anymore. They just don\u2019t want to fight, and we will honor that. And will stop the bombings,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have capitulated, but more importantly we will take their word. They say they will not be blowing up ships anymore,\u201d he added. \u201cI will accept their word, and we are going to stop the bombing of the Houthis, effective immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, sitting to the side of the president, argued the campaign against the Houthis in Yemen was about the \u201cfreedom of navigation issue.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA band of individuals with advanced weaponry that were threatening global shipping and the job was to get that to stop. If it\u2019s going to stop then we can stop. So, I think it\u2019s an important development,\u201d Rubio added.<\/p>\n
Houthi rebels had been targeting shipping in the Red Sea, and the U.S. has engaged in ongoing strikes<\/a> against the group, which began in March.<\/p>\n Trump suggested Tuesday that the trade agreement from his first term, U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), may not be necessary anymore.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s still very effective, but people have to follow it,\u201d Trump said of the agreement. \u201cIt was a transitional step, a little bit. As you know, it terminates fairly shortly. It gets renegotiated very shortly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis was a transitional deal,\u201d he added. \u201cI don\u2019t know that it\u2019s necessary anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump signed the USMCA<\/a> in 2020, replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement. He announced in March<\/a> that the USMCA would be exempted from a 25 percent tariff he imposed on all goods from Mexico and Canada.<\/p>\n As part of the 2020 agreement, any of the countries involved can move to approve of the deal moving forward, or oppose and revisit aspects of the deal beginning in 2026. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who was also in the Oval Office, suggested there would be \u201ca real revisiting of USMCA in a year.\u201d<\/p>\n When asked what changes he would want to make to the USMCA, Trump said he wasn\u2019t sure if his administration would be \u201cdealing\u201d with it at all but if they do, they could be making \u201csubtle changes\u201d to it.<\/p>\n Trump offered insight into how he is viewing trade negotiations with Canada and other nations, indicating they would not be traditional trade deals and downplaying the idea that Canada could escape tariffs currently in place.<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d he said when asked if Carney can say anything to lift the tariffs on Canada. \u201cThat\u2019s the way it is.\u201d<\/p>\n The Trump administration has imposed 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods, though certain imports covered under the USMCA signed in 2020 are exempt.\u00a0<\/p>\n At the same time, the administration has said it is negotiating with other countries after the White House levied \u201creciprocal\u201d tariffs on dozens of other trading partners, including allies like India, South Korea, Japan and the European Union.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t have to sign deals. We could sign 25 deals right now, if we wanted,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n The president described his approach as \u201cflexible\u201d and not \u201cchaotic,\u201d adding that the administration will adjust tariffs on trading partners if they\u2019re not agreed to.<\/p>\n \u201cOne day we\u2019ll come, and we\u2019ll give you a hundred deals, and they don\u2019t have to sign,\u201d Trump said. \u201cWe will sign some deals but much bigger than that is we\u2019re going to put down the price that people will have to pay to shop in the United States. Think of us as a super luxury store, a store that has the goods.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s remarks came shortly after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent clarified that there are not ongoing talks with China about a trade deal after administration officials, including Trump in recent weeks, suggested there were some interactions with Beijing.<\/p>\n Even as Trump refused to back off on tariffs and talk of Canada potentially becoming the 51st state, he was largely friendlier toward the new prime minister than he had been in recent months toward his predecessor.<\/p>\n Trump praised Carney as \u201ca very talented person\u201d and commended the prime minister on his victory in Canada\u2019s elections.<\/p>\n \u201cHe won a very big election in Canada. And I think I was probably the greatest thing that happened to him, but I can\u2019t take full credit,\u201d Trump quipped. \u201cHis party was losing by a lot, and he ended up winning.\u201d<\/p>\n Carney\u2019s Liberal Party won Canada\u2019s federal elections<\/a> last week in a race that was influenced heavily by Trump\u2019s constant talk of targeting the longtime ally and making it a state.<\/p>\nUSMCA may not be necessary, officials say<\/h2>\n
Trump downplays trade deals<\/h2>\n
Trump less antagonistic toward Carney<\/h2>\n