Trump Snubs Carney

US presidents normally publicly congratulate new prime ministers. Trump hasn't done so with Mark Carney.

Apr 30, 2025

*The day after the election, a spokesperson for the US State department devotes one minute of a 30-minute general purpose press conference to Canada.*

Justin Trudeau was elected prime minister three times. In each instance, he received a private call from the sitting US president and was swiftly congratulated publicly by that president. These things typically happen the next morning. Mr Trudeau’s victories were acknowledged by presidents Obama, Trump, and Biden:

In the aftermath of Monday’s general election, Mr Carney has been congratulated by the former US president, Joe Biden. He has likewise been congratulated by leaders from the European Commission, the UK, India, France, Australia, Chile, the Netherlands, and the Ukraine (see here).

But he has been snubbed by Donald Trump. A statement issued by Mr Carney’s office tells us a phone call took place and that congratulations were extended.

The White House has said nothing. The video at the top of this post is from a 30-minute press conference. Midway through, after a reporter remarks on the White House’s silence, Tammy Bruce devotes precisely one minute of her time to the Canadian election held the previous day:

Well here's what we can say about Canada. The United States extends its congratulations to Prime Minister Mark Carney and his party on their win in Canada's recent federal election. The US-Canada relationship remains one of the most extensive in the world. We look forward to working with Prime Minister Carney's government particularly on key issues such as trade fairness, combating illegal immigration, halting the flow of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs, and countering the Chinese Communist Party influence in our hemisphere.

No public congratulations from the president. No public congratulations from the Secretary of State. Instead tepid, perfunctory, verbal remarks delivered by a spokesperson in the midst of a general purpose press conference.

Compare and contrast to Mr Trump’s effusive 2019 public remarks, shortly past midnight, mere hours after Mr Trudeau was declared the election winner:

By the way, another country held a general election on Monday, the same day Canada did - Trinidad and Tobago. If you click here, you’ll find a press release in which the US State Department warmly, formally, and publicly congratulates “Kamla Persad-Bissessar on her election as Prime Minister…”