Trump congratulates Carney on election victory; leaders agree to meet in person

OTTAWA: US President Donald Trump congratulated Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney after his Liberal party won the election on Tuesday, with the leaders discussing their nations’ relationship amid trade tensions, including US tariffs impacting Canadian economy. Both leaders also agreed to meet in person soon.

The Canadian Prime Minister’s Office in a statement on Tuesday said, “Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, spoke with the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. President Trump congratulated Prime Minister Carney on his recent election.”

The statement added, “The leaders agreed on the importance of Canada and the United States working together – as independent, sovereign nations – for their mutual betterment. To that end, the leaders agreed to meet in person in the near future”.

Mark Carney’s Liberal Party has won the election in Canada in a stunning comeback fuelled by Donald Trump’s annexation threats and trade war.
In a victory speech Mr Carney said: “President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us – that will never, ever happen.” pic.twitter.com/jTzjFxtnHi

— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) April 29, 2025

Canadian news outlet CTV News had projected that Carney and the Liberal Party would retain power, winning enough seats in the 45th federal election to form the government. Carney had taken over the leadership from Justin Trudeau, who resigned towards the end of his term after losing the confidence of his party.

The election was marked as one of the most unpredictable in Canadian history, with Carney, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet, and Green Party co-Leader Jonathan Pedneault leading their respective parties in a highly competitive race.

The election took place against the backdrop of tariff threats and repeated attacks from Trump, who referred to Canada as the “51st state of the United States”.

A change in US leadership has had a dramatic impact on Canada. Trump’s sudden tariffs have plunged Canada’s economy into uncertainty. More than 70 per cent of the country’s exports go to the US, including automotive parts, lumber, agricultural products and steel.

Earlier in March, Carney had declared that the long-standing economic and security relationship between Canada and the United States has ended, following Trump’s announcement of new auto tariffs. “The old relationship we had with the United States, based on deepening integration of our economies and tight security and military cooperation, is over”, Carney had said. (ANI)