Carney says Canadians 'weren't impressed' by U.K.'s offer of second state visit to Trump

CBC News

· Posted: May 14, 2025 8:21 AM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canadians "weren't impressed" erstwhile the U.K. decided to connection U.S. President Donald Trump an unprecedented 2nd authorities sojourn portion helium was threatening Canada's sovereignty. 

"To beryllium frank, they weren't impressed by that gesture, rather simply, fixed the circumstance," Carney told British quality channel Sky News successful an interrogation posted online Wednesday.

"It was astatine a clip erstwhile we were being rather clear, immoderate of america were being rather clear, astir the issues astir sovereignty." 

Carney said that erstwhile helium was campaigning for the enactment leadership he was "being clear" that Canada is not for sale, and the invitation that U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer presented to Trump portion successful the Oval Office "cut crossed immoderate of those messages."

Asked if Carney thought it was due to invitation Trump for a 2nd authorities visit, Carney said that was a prime for the United Kingdom and Buckingham Palace to make.

"I permission the diplomacy to the U.K. government," helium said. 

Sky News pressed Carney for an answer, saying helium indispensable person an sentiment connected the decision, to which Carney replied, "I person an sentiment connected galore things, immoderate of which I support to myself."

At his archetypal news conference aft the April 28 election, Carney announced that King Charles volition question to Canada aboriginal this period to present the code from the throne connected May 27.

"This historical honour matches the value of our times," Carney said then, adding that Queen Camilla would articulation the visit.

Gov. Gen. Mary Simon issued a connection confirming the royal sojourn connected May 26 and 27.

Every caller league of Parliament is opened by a throne speech, a papers that lays retired the government's expected absorption and goals, and however it plans to execute them.

King's sojourn not 'a coincidence' Carney says

Much attraction has focused successful caller weeks connected Charles's relation arsenic caput of authorities of Canada, peculiarly successful the look of repeated taunts from Trump astir it becoming the 51st state.

Carney explained that helium asked the King if helium would sojourn Canada erstwhile helium met with him aft being sworn successful arsenic premier curate successful March and that it is not accidental that the King is visiting astatine a clip erstwhile Canada's sovereignty arsenic a state is being challenged by the U.S. 

"All issues astir Canadian sovereignty [that] person been accentuated by the president, what helium said, they beryllium successful mean times arsenic well," helium told Sky News. "So no, not it is not coincidental but it is besides a reaffirming moment, volition beryllium a reaffirming."

Starmer handed Trump the invitation for a 2nd authorities visit during a sojourn to Washington successful February, saying the president's past authorities sojourn successful 2019 had been a "tremendous success."

After speechmaking the invitation successful beforehand of reporters successful the Oval Office, Trump said it would beryllium an "honour" to sojourn the "fantastic" country.