Cordial Trump, Carney meeting surprises onlookers, but MSNBC plays up apocalyptic scenario

Washington D.C.: The first meeting between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney was a cordial one that overcame the president's 51st US state jibes.

“I just want to be friends with Canada,” Trump said during the Oval Office meeting, praising Carney’s recent electoral victory as “one of the greatest political comebacks of all time". Carney, in turn, called Trump a “transformational president”.

“As you know from real estate, some places are never for sale,” Carney said. “Canada won’t be for sale—ever.” Trump replied, “Never say never,” prompting Carney to mouth “never” repeatedly with a smile.

Carney, who campaigned on resisting US pressure, pushed back, calling Trump’s rhetoric “not useful” but avoiding direct personal criticism.

Trade was a key sticking point. Trump called NAFTA the “worst deal in history” and signaled interest in renegotiating the USMCA, while Carney defended the agreement as a “framework” for future discussions. Trump bluntly stated no argument would make him lift tariffs on Canadian goods.

Despite the friction, both leaders framed the talks as productive, agreeing to continue discussions at the upcoming G7 summit. 

Meanwhile MSNBC seemed to be watching a completely different meeting and chose to focus on the prospect of armed conflict between the US and Canada.

On 'Katy Tur Reports', host Katy Tur raised the startling possibility of armed conflict with Canada, referencing an 'Atlantic' article by Canadian journalist Stephen Marche.

Tur opened by asking Marche why the idea of war with America’s longtime ally was “no longer unthinkable". Marche pointed to President Trump’s rhetoric, saying Trump often jokes about annexing Canada, fueling rising Republican hostility toward the northern neighbor.

Marche warned that when nations face internal constitutional crises, they sometimes turn violent against neighboring countries. In his article, Marche argued Trump’s trade war was part of a larger ambition to absorb Canada as the 51st state. He claimed Trump has even privately discussed annexation with Canadian leaders. Marche emphasized that Canada must prepare for defense, cautioning against complacency.

He compared the situation to Ukraine’s initial disbelief before Russia’s 2022 invasion, warning that Canada cannot assume peace is guaranteed.