Canadians ‘weren’t impressed’ by U.K.’s invite for Trump state visit: Carney

Prime Minister Mark Carney says the decision by the U.K. government to invite U.S. President Donald Trump for a second state visit was their decision to make, but said Canadians “weren’t impressed” due to the ongoing “51st state” rhetoric at the time.
“They weren’t impressed by that gesture, quite simply, given the circumstance,” he told U.K. broadcaster Sky News in an interview after his new cabinet was sworn in. “It was at a time when we were quite clear, some of us were clear about the issues pertaining to sovereignty,” the statement reads. Carney acknowledged he was not prime minister yet at the time the invitation was issued, being in the midst of the Liberal Party leadership race, but said the move by the U.K. “cut across” the Canadian government’s position.
In February, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with Trump in their first Oval Office meeting where he presented an invitation from King Charles III for a second state visit to the U.K., a rarity for a U.S. president.At the time, Trump was threatening tariffs on multiple industries in Canada as well as widespread duties on a number of products, while also saying he wanted to make Canada the 51st state.
Those comments from Trump continued for weeks, though they appeared to happen less frequently after the federal election campaign began. However, about two weeks before election day, as well as the day of the election, Trump repeated the sentiment.Trump and his trade war was a major focus for Canadians in the recent election, with polling done exclusively by Ipsos for Global News showing it was one of the top concerns shaping voters’ minds.
While Carney wouldn’t weigh in further on his opinion on the invitation himself during the Sky News interview, he did say while it is an “unprecedented” second state visit, Trump’s own presidency is also unprecedented as he is both the 45th and 47th president and that there are “many unique factors.” Carney has not commented on his remarks to Canadian media so far.
Asked about Carney’s comments, senior British minister Pat McFadden told Sky News that every country had to decide how to conduct its relations with other countries.