Carney still hasn't spoken to Trump, thinks president is waiting for election results to talk

Catharine Tunney · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 24, 2025 1:37 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

Prime Minister Mark Carney says helium inactive hasn't spoken U.S. President Donald Trump since taking bureau past week, implying the president is waiting for the results of the national predetermination — whoever that whitethorn beryllium aft April 28. 

Carney, who was sworn successful arsenic premier curate 10 days ago, told reporters Monday he's consenting to talk to Trump, if the president shows respect for Canada.

 "I'm disposable for a call, but we're going to speech connected our terms. As a sovereign state — not arsenic what helium pretends we are — and connected a broad deal," said Carney during a run halt successful Gander, N.L.

In the latest motion of the deteriorating narration betwixt the 2 erstwhile adjacent allies, Carney's squad said Trump hasn't called Carney to congratulate him on becoming premier minister, and hasn't posted thing online either.

WATCH | Carney asked astir talking to Trump, preparing for April 2 tariffs

Canada's embassy successful Washington has been successful interaction with U.S. officials astir a imaginable telephone betwixt the 2 leaders, but determination isn't a telephone connected the books, said the Carney camp.

On time 2 of the national predetermination campaign, the Liberal person suggested to reporters helium thinks the president is alternatively waiting to spot who volition get a mandate from Canadians. 

"Is it idiosyncratic who is, to punctuation [Alberta Premier] Danielle Smith, successful sync with him? Or is it idiosyncratic who is going to basal up for Canadians?" Carney asked. "I'm going to basal up for Canadians."

The Liberal person was referring to comments Smith made during an interrogation with a right-wing U.S. media institution earlier this period that's present gaining traction. 

Poilievre dodges question connected Smith's comments

During a March 8 interrogation with Breitbart, Smith spoke of the shifting governmental winds successful Canada since Trump launched his commercialized warfare earlier this year.

Smith told Breitbart the menace of "unjust and unfair tariffs" had boosted Liberal support, and said she told U.S. medication officials that she hoped "we could enactment things connected pause" truthful Canada could get done an election.

She went on to accidental Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is much aligned with the Trump administration's agenda.

"There's astir apt inactive ever going to beryllium areas that are skirmishes oregon disputes astir peculiar industries erstwhile it comes to the border, but I would say, connected balance, the position that Pierre would bring would beryllium precise overmuch successful sync with, I deliberation … the caller absorption successful America," she added.

Smith spokesperson Sam Blackett denied accusations Smith had asked the U.S. to interfere successful Canada's election.

Poilievre has dodged reporters' questions astir Smith's comments truthful acold connected the campaign

On Monday, helium said radical are escaped to marque their ain comments earlier repeating his transportation to enactment "Canada first" by gathering much vigor projects and cutting taxes. 

He suggested Trump's own stated penchant for a Liberal triumph shows Conservatives are champion to instrumentality connected the president and his ongoing tariff threats. 

This month, the president escalated his commercialized warfare by imposing 25 per cent tariffs connected each alloy and aluminum entering the country, prompting Canada to efficaciously treble its retaliatory tariffs connected U.S. goods. 

Trump's adjacent volley is scheduled for April 2, though there's present disorder astir whether he'll travel through.

Speaking connected background, a White House authoritative said that contempt Trump's repeated threats astir sector-specific tariffs, they whitethorn not really hap adjacent week.

"Obviously POTUS has talked a batch astir sectoral tariffs, but we whitethorn person sectoral tariffs connected April 2 and we whitethorn not," the authoritative said successful an email. 

"No last decisions person been made yet connected sectorial tariffs being tacked onto reciprocal for April 2 timeline."

The national predetermination campaign, which kicked disconnected officially connected Sunday, has been mostly framed arsenic a referendum connected who is champion to instrumentality connected Trump.

The Conservative Party had been trouncing the Liberal Party successful nationalist polling for much than a year, but CBC's Poll Tracker suggests the 2 main parties are present neck-and-neck since the onset of the tariffs and erstwhile Liberal  premier curate Justin Trudeau's resignation.