LILLEY: Carney kneels before Trump and worships in Kananaskis
Carney slavish in praise of Trump, silent as Trump trashes Canada and talks about keeping tariffs on us.
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On Monday, Prime Minister Mark Carney went from being the tough talking Mr. Elbows Up when talking about U.S. President Donald Trump to being a fan boy. Carney gushed about Trump as they met for a bilateral ahead of the official opening of the G7.
“Mr. President, welcome to Canada,” Carney said. “It’s a great honour. Happy birthday.”
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LILLEY: Carney kneels before Trump and worships in Kananaskis Back to video
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Trump had celebrated his birthday on Saturday with a big military parade to honour himself and the founding of the U.S. Army. Objectively, Carney was showing Trump more respect, and was happier to see him, than the sloppy troops that marched past Trump on the weekend.
Carney noted that it was the 50th birthday of the G7 as well before really gushing about Trump.
“The G7 is nothing without U.S. leadership and so and your personal leadership, leadership of the United States, many issues, geopolitics, economic, technology and working hand in hand with the United States, Canada and the United States and the other G7 partners with your leadership. I’m very much looking forward to the meeting and grateful to have you,” he said.
Look, it’s understandable to be nice to a visiting world leader, especially one you are negotiating a trade deal with, but Carney was over the top and effusive.
“A person who worships at the altar of Donald Trump will kneel before him, not stand up to him,” Carney said in speech after warning voters that Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre couldn’t be trusted with Trump.
Who’s kneeling and worshipping now, Mr. Carney?
Despite Carney’s rhetoric during the election campaign and since about our relationship with the United States being over and the need to move trade away from the Americans, talks have been ongoing. There was even hope that a deal would be announced before the G7 began, with Trump and Carney even speaking directly as part of those negotiations.
The push for a deal cooled off last week and momentum faded. Still, Trump said he thinks a deal can be had — and soon — though he said clearly he isn’t ready to give up tariffs.
“I think we have different concepts,” Trump said of his view on trade compared to Carney’s.
“I have a tariff concept. Mark has a different concept, which is something that some people like, but we’re going to see if we can get to the bottom of it. Today.”
While Trump said it was possible for a deal to be struck soon, he made clear that he isn’t ready to move off of tariffs, even with Canada.
“I’m a tariff person. I’ve always been a tariff person. It’s simple. it’s easy, it’s precise, and it just goes very quickly. And I think Mark has a more complex idea, but also very good. So we’re going to look at both, and we’re going to see what we’re going to come out with something hopefully,” Trump said.
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As Trump talked about tariffs and the trade talks, Carney didn’t speak up, he didn’t say a word. The man who said he was the only leader who could stand up to Donald Trump was too busy smiling and being in awe of the American president – kneeling and worshipping as it were.
Carney couldn’t even speak up as Trump badmouthed his predecessor Justin Trudeau and blamed Trudeau for something he didn’t do. Trump claimed more than once that Trudeau kicked Russia out of the G7 along with Obama, when in fact it was former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper.
Our PM looked incredibly weak.
On trade Trump said a quick deal is possible, but both sides have to agree. Mark Carney didn’t speak up and say that tariffs were unacceptable to him, or to Canada, while Trump was rambling.
Should we take that mean that he agrees?
Will Canada face a 10% tariff across all goods at the end of this?
“That’s a low number!” Trump said of the 10% tariff on British goods when announcing a deal with the U.K. back in early May.
We are about to find out how high, or perhaps how low, Mark Carney’s elbows can go.
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