Donald Trump’s three-word response to “Canada is not for sale” claim

President Donald Trump shared a tense moment with incoming Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in their first Oval Office meeting on Tuesday.

Since returning to the White House Trump has repeatedly claimed that he would be interesting in pursuing a deal to ‘buy’ Canada, an idea that has been flatly rejected by the Canadian government at all levels. The matter was not due to be discussed during Tuesday’s event but it still found it’s way into the conversation.

“As a real estate developer, you know, I’m a real estate developer at heart,” Trump began. “When you get rid of that artificially drawn line ... when you look at that beautiful formation when it’s together, I’m a very artistic person.”

However Carney quickly interjected, saying: “As you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale. ”

“We’re sitting in one right now, Buckingham Palace that you visited, as well. And having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign the last several months, it’s not for sale, it won’t be for sale, ever. But the opportunity is in the partnership and what we can build together.”

However Trump was not discouraged, ending this brief exchange by remarking: “But I say, ‘Never say never.‘”

Carney’s first meeting with Trump highlighted the difficulty that he will likely have in maintaining the US-Canada relationship during his premiership. He beat off competition from the more Trump-aligned Pierre Poilievre of the Conservative Party but now has to ensure a working partnership with Washington can be agreed.

However he has been unwilling to bend entirely to Trump’s whims. In his post-election victory speech, Carney said that the cross-border relationship “based on deepening integration of our economies and tight security and military cooperation, is over.” He added that Canada needs to “fundamentally reimagine our economy” in response to the tariffs imposed by the Trump White House.

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