Canadian PM Apologizes to Trump Over Anti-Tariff Ad: Behind-the-Scenes Drama Unfolds
In a surprise move, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has publicly apologized to US President Donald Trump over an anti-tariff advertisement that was aired in Ontario by Premier Doug Ford. The ad, which featured a snippet of former Republican president Ronald Reagan warning about the dangers of tariffs, sparked tensions between the two countries.
According to sources close to the matter, Carney had previously reviewed the ad with Ford and expressed his opposition to it. However, Ford went ahead with the advertisement anyway, which led to Trump announcing increased tariffs on goods from Canada. The US and Canadian governments also halted trade talks, adding fuel to the fire.
In a private conversation at a dinner hosted by South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Carney apologized to Trump over the ad, according to the PM's comments made after an Asia-Pacific summit in South Korea. When asked about his talks with Trump, Carney confirmed that he had expressed his disapproval of the advertisement and told Ford not to air it.
Carney's decision to speak out on this issue has been seen as a significant development in bilateral relations between Canada and the US. The Canadian PM emphasized the need for cooperation between the two countries, saying "It can't happen overnight, but we're moving very fast" to reduce dependence on the US.
The move comes after years of tensions between Canada and China, with Canada's security authorities concluding that China had interfered in at least two federal elections. During his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Carney reportedly discussed foreign interference among other issues.
Carney's trip to Asia was part of efforts to diversify Canada's trade relationships beyond the US. The PM expressed optimism about the prospects for improved relations with China and other countries, saying that the trip had marked a "turning point" in Canadian-China relations.
In contrast to Trump's comments earlier this week, Carney said he had a "very nice" conversation with Xi Jinping at the dinner hosted by Moon Jae-in.
In a surprise move, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has publicly apologized to US President Donald Trump over an anti-tariff advertisement that was aired in Ontario by Premier Doug Ford. The ad, which featured a snippet of former Republican president Ronald Reagan warning about the dangers of tariffs, sparked tensions between the two countries.
According to sources close to the matter, Carney had previously reviewed the ad with Ford and expressed his opposition to it. However, Ford went ahead with the advertisement anyway, which led to Trump announcing increased tariffs on goods from Canada. The US and Canadian governments also halted trade talks, adding fuel to the fire.
In a private conversation at a dinner hosted by South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Carney apologized to Trump over the ad, according to the PM's comments made after an Asia-Pacific summit in South Korea. When asked about his talks with Trump, Carney confirmed that he had expressed his disapproval of the advertisement and told Ford not to air it.
Carney's decision to speak out on this issue has been seen as a significant development in bilateral relations between Canada and the US. The Canadian PM emphasized the need for cooperation between the two countries, saying "It can't happen overnight, but we're moving very fast" to reduce dependence on the US.
The move comes after years of tensions between Canada and China, with Canada's security authorities concluding that China had interfered in at least two federal elections. During his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Carney reportedly discussed foreign interference among other issues.
Carney's trip to Asia was part of efforts to diversify Canada's trade relationships beyond the US. The PM expressed optimism about the prospects for improved relations with China and other countries, saying that the trip had marked a "turning point" in Canadian-China relations.
In contrast to Trump's comments earlier this week, Carney said he had a "very nice" conversation with Xi Jinping at the dinner hosted by Moon Jae-in.
2025 is gonna be all about bridging gaps between countries... seems like Canada's taking it one step further than expected 
. It's actually kinda refreshing to see Canada taking a proactive approach to mending relations with the US, especially after all the drama between them and China 
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. He seems to be betting on diversifying trade relationships beyond just the US, which I think is a smart move for Canada's economy 
. It'll be interesting to see how that plays out in the coming months 
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. You never know what he's going to say next, and it's always good for Canada to keep its wits about itself 
. Overall, though, Carney's initiative seems like a positive step forward for bilateral relations 
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. I mean, come on, a private convo over a ad about Ronald Reagan warning against tariffs? It's just so... passive-aggressive 
. And what really gets me is that Ford went ahead with the ad despite Carney's reservations. It's like, dude, you're not even trying to hide your politics anymore 
. It's like, can't they all just get along? 
Canada's trying to diversify its trade relationships, but it looks like it's still stuck in this toxic US-China dynamic 
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. And honestly, I think he's right to stand up for himself and his country 
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- so now Canada's trying to diversify its trade relationships and move away from the US, but still has to deal with Trump's tantrums over some ad that wasn't even made by him!
. Apparently he told Ford not to air it but Ford did it anyway and now we're dealing with all this drama 
. Anyway, Carney apologized to Trump in person at a dinner thingy hosted by Moon Jae-in and it's like, kinda nice that he spoke out about it 
. Now we just gotta hope the US doesn't get all mad and start a trade war 
. Fingers crossed! 
. I remember when our leaders used to have more substance in their public statements. Nowadays, it's all about the optics and the PR spin. 
The fact that Canadian security authorities were monitoring China's interference in our elections... that's some serious stuff. 
We need to get back to basics and focus on building real relationships with our partners, not just using them as leverage for PR stunts. 