President Donald Trump spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Friday morning, the first contact between the two as world leaders.
Trump, who has been roundly dismissive of Carney and previously said he “doesn’t care” about Canadian politics, said the phone call was “extremely productive.”
“We agree on many things, and will be meeting immediately after Canada’s upcoming Election to work on elements of Politics, Business, and all other factors, that will end up being great for both the United States of America and Canada,” Trump posted on social media after the call.
The decision to meet after the April 28 Canadian election may signal a wait-and-see attitude from the White House as the prime minister hopes to secure a long-term mandate to lead the nation.
Carney, a former central banker who has never been elected to office, will be busy campaigning for the next month as he campaigns for a parliament seat in Ottawa.
The election is seen as a make-or-break moment for the Liberal Party, which overwhelmingly chose Carney to replace former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after the party’s support among the electorate waned.
It has been a miraculous few months for the Liberals, who utterly tanked in the polls heading into 2025 and were expected to be trounced by the Conservative Party in the next election.
The resignation of Trudeau, the rise of Carney, and the Conservatives’ difficulties reorienting their pseudo-MAGA messaging after Trump became the archvillain of Canadian politics all contributed to a startling surge back into the race.
The Liberals hold approximately 40.8% support in public polls, followed closely by the Conservatives at 37.5%.
“I don’t care,” Trump said earlier this month when asked for his thoughts on a possible Liberal victory. “I think it’s easier to deal, actually, with a Liberal and maybe they’re going to win, but I don’t really care. It doesn’t matter to me at all.”
“The conservative that’s running is, stupidly, no friend of mine,” he said, referring to Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. “I don’t know him, but he said negative things. When he says negative things, I couldn’t care less.”
Carney has sought to find cooperation and stability on other continents following Trump’s barrage of tariffs.
MARK CARNEY CALLS FOR SNAP ELECTIONS IN CANADA, SEEKS MANDATE AS TRUDEAU SUCCESSOR
While a newly elected prime minister of Canada usually visits the U.S. first, Carney instead visited France and the United Kingdom — playing up his country’s European heritage and lamenting the discord in U.S.-Canada relations.
“I want to ensure that France, and the whole of Europe, works enthusiastically with Canada — the most European of non-European countries and, at the same time, resolutely North American — determined, like you, to maintain the most positive relations possible with the United States,” Carney told French President Emmanuel Macron on the journey.