Carney Posts Video of Davos Speech That Enraged Trump, While Trump Takes Jabs at Ottawa as Trade War Escalates

Prime Minister Mark Carney on Aug. 26 posted a video clip on social media of his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, earlier this year where he indirectly criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies.

Meanwhile, on the same day, the White House shared a clip of U.S. President Donald Trump in an interview criticizing Ottawa for its treatment of the United States.

Carney said in his speech at Davos on Jan. 20 that the international rules-based order has given way to a “great power rivalry,” and he urged world leaders not to comply with the new system that used “coercion.” Without naming the United States and China, Carney also said that great powers had begun “using economic integration as weapons, tariffs as leverage,” equating the two countries, while urging middle powers to band together against the great powers.

The video clip posted on Aug. 26 contained audio from the speech where Carney said that “the old order is not coming back,” and that out of the fracture, Canada could “build something bigger, better, stronger, and more just.” It also showed clips of Carney meeting with dozens of world leaders, but not with Trump.

Trump had reacted negatively to Carney’s speech on Jan. 21, saying that Canada “lives because of the United States,” and later revoked the prime minister’s invitation to join his Board of Peace.

The same day that Carney’s social media account shared the video clip of the speech, the White House posted a video clip of Trump in an interview with journalist Glenn Beck saying that Canada has “taken advantage of the United States for many decades” and has been “one of the worst countries in the world to deal with.”

“They don’t have anything that we have to have, okay? We can get by. I mean, there are a couple of things that would make it a little inconvenient, but we could get them elsewhere, and it’s time to teach Canada you can’t do this anymore,” Trump said.

The interview and Carney’s post came one day after Canada announced its plan for imposing dollar-for-dollar counter-tariffs on hundreds of American goods worth CA$27.6 billion. The counter-tariffs will impact items ranging from seafood to furniture to steel.

Canada’s new tariffs, which will kick in on Sept. 8, are in response to Washington’s 50 percent tariffs on US$20 billion Canadian exports to the United States beginning on Aug. 22. The U.S. tariffs, affecting goods like electronics, paper, alcohol, and dairy, were imposed after trade talks between Canada and the United States broke down.

Trump also announced on Aug. 24 in response to incoming Canadian counter-tariffs that starting in 2027, his country would impose new 50 percent tariffs on Canadian cars, trucks, and auto parts. Canadian vehicles are currently subject to 25 percent U.S. tariffs.