Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney disclosed that he was glad nobody could tell what was going through his mind when reporters asked him what was going through his mind when Trump openly kept talking about annexing Canada and lashing out at his predecessor during their meeting at the White House.
Carney joked with reporters, saying he was glad his private thoughts were well concealed after he was caught staring at Trump wide-eyed. The Canadian PM said he was always careful to distinguish between wishes and reality and also seemed to admit that he was seething in the Oval Office as Trump taunted him to his face about annexing his country.
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky’s aggressive response when he faced a similar situation in the White House in February ended in a car crash confrontation. Still, Carney’s firm and diplomatic reply did not cause any fireworks, even though he said it right to Trump’s face.
Carney hides his thoughts during a nerve-racking meeting with Trump
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump: "I'm glad that you couldn't tell what was going through my mind…I think we established a good basis today." pic.twitter.com/p0FeLiLVih
— CSPAN (@cspan) May 6, 2025
Reporters asked Carney what went through his mind when the president talked about erasing the U.S.-Canadian border, to which he responded by first laughing it off for a moment before saying he was glad that people could not tell what he was thinking.
According to body language expert Judi James, Carney made a series of ‘revealing hidden gestures’ as Trump answered questions on U.S.-Canada relations. However, the Canadian PM kept his ‘tongue in check’ next to the American leader. James also explained that Carney performed a series of micro-gestures and winces that seemed to form a denial ritual.
As Trump said Canada did not account for much of the U.S. business, Carney initially looked down reflectively, but his eyes rolled to the side in an evaluation gesture. He blinked hard, narrowing his left eye to suggest disagreement.
“Well, thank you—I guess … I am glad you could not tell what was going through my mind.”
-Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada
The meeting remained cordial despite the tension, as Carney controlled his emotions. He also affirmed his commitment to working with the U.S. to rebuild the [seemingly deteriorating] economic and security partnership between the two powers.
Carney calmly but firmly says Canada is ‘not for sale’
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump wasted little time confronting Carney about his long-standing aspiration to take over Canada. However, the former central banker, who rode to electoral victory by casting himself as the defender of Canada’s sovereignty amid a wave of public fury at Trump’s advances, calmly but firmly rejected his neighbor’s offer to make Canada the 51st state.
Trump called himself a ‘real estate developer at heart,’ and adding Canada to the U.S. would make for a ‘wonderful marriage.’ However, Carney, who had been shifting in his seat with pursed lips while Trump spoke, immediately shut the president’s musing down, pointing out that some places were never for sale.
Speaking to reporters later on Tuesday, the Canadian PM reiterated his firm response to Trump’s prodding, saying that he was clear there in the Oval Office—as he had been clear throughout on behalf of Canadians—that this would never happen. Canada was not for sale and was never going to be for sale.
Trump’s rhetoric and threats sparked ‘nationalistic zeal’ among Canadians, who boycotted U.S. goods and renewed their support for the Liberal Party, which was able to form a minority government after the April elections. Carney also warned during his victory speech on April 29th that America had always wanted to annex Canada, adding that Trump was trying to break up the country so that the U.S. could take over.
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