Mark Carney, the former Irish-British banker, presented himself to Canadians as the "Trump whisperer," a sophisticated, worldly figure capable of handling Trump due to his deep understanding of global affairs. 

His "Elbows Up" strategy, meant to show toughness, involved disparaging Trump, imposing internet taxes on U.S. high-tech companies during trade talks, and placing tariffs on U.S. goods even those exempted by the USMCA trade deal. 

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This approach reportedly irritated the U.S., our most valued trade partner. with retaliatory tariffs being a significant point of contention. U.S. officials noted Canada's tariffs on U.S. products covered under USMCA, while Canadian goods entered the U.S. tariff-free. 

Additionally, Canadian provinces' "buy local" policies further complicated trade relations.

Carney's rhetoric, claiming Trump aimed to "break us so that America can own us," and his stated intent to pivot Canada towards China and Europe (even calling Canada a "natural fit" for the EU) were seen as further provocations. 

Despite Canada being a major donor, Carney was notably excluded from a White House peace meeting on Ukraine, leading to questions about his standing with international allies.

PM Carney announces Canada will drop its retaliatory tariffs against the United States.

Starting next month, Canada will "match the United States" and remove tariffs "on US goods specifically covered" under the existing USMCA trade deal, Carney says. pic.twitter.com/KIGdUBfK4i

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) August 22, 2025

Doug Ford, a conservative ally of Carney, also engaged in insulting Trump, despite it not yielding positive results. Carney eventually reversed course, surrendering to Trump by removing all Canadian tariffs on U.S. goods covered under USMCA. 

The prime minister defended this by stating Canada still had the "best trade deal" with the U.S., even if it differed from previous agreements, and that the world had fundamentally changed. This was largely perceived as a humiliating retreat.

Critics pan Carney's 161-day premiership as a "total failure" compared to Justin Trudeau, citing only 22 Parliament sitting days, no budget, and increases in immigration, crime, and taxes.