A Wall Street Journal article published this week reveals new details about Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney and the rupture between Europe and the United States. The two-part series, titled "There Is No Going Back: The Inside Story of Europe's Rupture With America," includes a section focused on Canada, headlined "The Canadian Who Steered Europe Away From the U.S." It details threats from former U.S. President Donald Trump, Carney's late-night speechwriting, and his blunt remarks to allies.
Trump's 51st State Threats Went Further Than Known
In February 2025, during a phone call with then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Trump threatened to tear up a 1908 treaty defining the Canada-U.S. boundary. According to two unnamed sources familiar with the call, Trump said: "I tear that up and your whole country unravels." The Journal also reported that when Trudeau's envoys tried to dissuade Trump's annexation talk at a Mar-a-Lago dinner, Trump suggested splitting Canada into two U.S. states—one red, one blue.
Carney's Braggadocio and Quips
Canadian officials told the Journal that Carney, when a European counterpart complained about dealing with Trump's administration, replied: "I have to deal with these guys every day." At the G-20 meeting in South Africa last November, British leader Keir Starmer told Carney the West must salvage its U.S. relationship. Carney responded: "We don't have a relationship to keep!"
Help from an Unlikely Source
Shortly before Carney took power, the Canadian government reached out to Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner for advice on countering Trump's unsupported claims that Canada was a major fentanyl source. Kushner suggested a video showing Canada's border security efforts. However, the Journal noted: "Instead of placating Trump, it seemed to fuel his interest in revisiting the placement of the border."
Quick Work on Davos Speech
On his way from China to the World Economic Forum in Davos last January, Carney "woke at 4 a.m. to write his Davos speech in a single two-hour sitting" during a stopover in Doha. The speech, which urged Western nations to stand up to great powers or "be on the menu," drew rapturous applause. Trump struck back the next day, saying "Canada lives because of the United States," adding: "Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements."
Hitting the Books on Trump's Psychology
Under Carney, Canadian senior officials began reading clinical studies on impulsivity to understand Trump's psychology, as well as biographies focusing on Trump's business and media career, the Journal reported.
