51st state? Trump quips about merger of Canada and US during meeting with Carney

A lighter moment punctuated serious diplomacy at the White House as US President Donald Trump hosted Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney for discussions on trade, tariffs, and international security. During the meeting on Tuesday, Trump jokingly mentioned a possible “merger of Canada and the United States,” prompting laughter in the room — before turning to more serious subjects, including what he described as a “real chance” for peace in Gaza.

Carney, visiting Washington for the second time this year, thanked Trump for his hospitality and called him “a transformative president.” The Canadian Prime Minister highlighted some of Trump’s achievements, such as securing “unprecedented commitments from NATO partners to defence spending” and “disabling Iran as a force of terror.”

Appearing to brush aside Trump’s merger remark, Carney replied, “That wasn’t where I was going”, BBC reported. He reaffirmed Canada’s support for Trump’s Middle East initiative, adding, “We’ll do whatever we can to support that.”