Foreign Pool Report #2 - PM Carney's Comments

The Prime Minister and the President were sitting at the usual place.

Facing the couch on which Vice-President Vance, Secretary of State Rubio and Secretary of Commerce Lutnick were sitting, were – closest to the Prime Minister – Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Melanie Joly and David McGuinty, Minister of Public Safety.

The entire pool spray was carried live, but as the foreign pooler, let me go over the comments made by the Canadian Prime Minister.

“Thank you, Mr President. I’m on the edge of my seat. (The President had just said that “we're gonna have a very, very big announcement today” without adding details.)

But thank you for your hospitality and above all, for your leadership. You’re a transformational president, who focus on the economy, focus on the American workers, security borders, providing ending the scourge of fentanyl and other opioids and securing the world.

And I've been elected with my colleagues here - with the help of my colleagues here, I’m spreading the credit - to transform Canada with a similar focus on the economy, clearly on borders, again on fentanyl, much greater focus on defense and security, securing the Arctic and developing the Arctic it and the history of Canada and the U.S. is that we’re stronger when we work together. (Inaudible few seconds)

(After a question and an answer by POTUS on making Canada the 51st U.S. State&)

CARNEY

Well, if I may, as you know, from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale. Buckingham Palace that you have visited as well, and having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign in the last several months, it's not for sale, will not be for sale ever.

But the opportunity is in the partnership and what we can build together. We have done that in the past, and part of that, as the President just said, is with respect to our own security and my government is committed for a (&) change in our investment in Canadian security and our partnership. I'll say this as well, the President has revitalized international security.

(After POTUS talked about the USMCA – “The USMCA is a good deal for everybody. I won't say this about Mark, but I didn't like his predecessor. I didn't like a person that worked. She was terrible (He’s talking about former Finance Minister, Chrystia Freeland.). Actually, she was a terrible person. And she really hurt that deal very badly because she tried to take advantage of the deal and she didn't get away with it.”)

CARNEY

I'll say a word on USMCA, if I may, Mr President. It is a basis for broader negotiation. Some things about it are going to have to change. And part of the way you conducted these tariffs has taken advantage of existing aspects of USMCA, so it's going to have to change. There are other elements that are (&), and that's part of what we’ll be discussing.

(After a question on tariffs on Canada – “Is there anything the Prime Minister can say to you today that could (&) tariffs on Canada? No! Why not? That’s the way it is!”)

CARNEY

“Respectfully, the Canadians view on this is not going to change, on the 51st State. Secondly, we are the largest client of the United States, in the totality of all goods. We are the largest buyer. We have a tremendous auto sector between the two of us. And the changes to date were helpful. You know, 50% of the cars come from Canada.

That's not like anywhere else. And to your question, “Is there one thing?” No, this is a bigger discussion. There are much bigger forces involved, and this will take some time to have those discussions.”

As we were pushed out of the Oval Office by the wranglers, I (respectfully) shouted to the President:

“Easier to deal with this Prime Minister than the previous one?”

Off the camera, the President answered me “Yes. I like this guy.” To which, PM Carney reacted with a huge smile.

Richard Latendresse

Correspondant � la Maison-Blanche / Animateur de "Contextes"

White House Correspondent / Host of "Contextes"

Washington DC U.S.A.

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