Carney’s Calm over Trump’s ‘51st State’ Remark Shows Leadership – Not a Lie
The Real Story Behind the ‘51st State’ Flap
Right-wing critics are in a tizzy, claiming Mark Carney “lied” to Canadians about Donald Trump calling Canada the “51st state.” Let’s set the record straight.
Carney was asked point-blank by a reporter if Trump used that language during their talks – and Carney calmly answered yes, Trump did raise the idea of Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state [1].
However, Carney noted he chose not to repeat Trump’s provocative remark publicly at the time.
Why?
Because he was focused on keeping the discussion productive, not on broadcasting an offhand insult. In Carney’s own words, he insists he “did not mischaracterize” the call by initially neglecting to report that incendiary suggestion [2].
Instead, Carney highlighted that Trump also acknowledged Canada’s sovereignty and its right to hold free elections during their conversation [1][3]. In other words, Carney gave Canadians the substance of the call – reassurance that Trump respected Canada’s independence – without amplifying the taunt that we’re a pseudo 51st state.
That’s not a lie; that’s statesmanship and tactical communication.
Defusing vs. Inflaming – A Leadership Style Contrast
Carney’s choice here is entirely in character. This is a former central banker known for being steady and action-oriented. He’s not one to tweet outrage or fan every flame.
By omitting Trump’s trolling line in public, Carney was defusing a potentially explosive issue. He deprived Trump’s words of the oxygen they needed to ignite nationalist fury.
Contrast this with Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s approach: Poilievre and his allies immediately seized on the news to accuse Carney of a cover-up. Poilievre even thundered that “we cannot trust anything [Carney] says,” casting Carney’s discretion as deceit [4].
But this outrage-driven response misses the nuance. Carney wasn’t hiding the truth – he confirmed the truth when asked, directly and transparently. What he didn’t do was play Trump’s game of provocation.
Here’s the contrast in styles, in a nutshell:
Mark Carney: Focuses on substance over spectacle. In the Trump call, he emphasized areas of agreement (respect for Canada’s sovereignty) and quietly handled the insult offstage. This reflects political maturity and a cool head under pressure.
Pierre Poilievre: Relies on incendiary rhetoric and outrage. He’s turning a non-issue into a scandal, loudly proclaiming Carney “lied” to score points, rather than acknowledging the savvy strategy behind Carney’s calm response.
Why Carney’s Restraint Was Smart (and Patriotic)
Let’s remember who we’re dealing with in Donald Trump. This is a U.S. president who has repeatedly toyed with the notion that Canada should be part of the United States.
Since his 2024 election win, Trump has shared maps on Truth Social depicting Canada merged into the U.S., captioned with taunts like “Oh Canada!” [5]. He’s boasted that “many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State” and even quipped at a press conference that “Canada and the United States…they should be a state” [6].
In short, Trump’s 51st state shtick is a well-worn part of his bluster. It’s obnoxious, sure – but also transparently designed to rattle Canadians.
Carney recognized this for what it was.
Instead of taking the bait and erupting publicly, he kept his cool. Political leaders have a choice when faced with a foreign leader’s provocation: escalate the war of words (which is what Trump likely wanted), or absorb the slight and move on to real issues. Carney chose the latter.
By not shouting from the rooftops about Trump’s insult, he successfully muted a potentially inflammatory issue. He kept the focus on substantive matters like trade tariffs and security cooperation, rather than getting into a schoolyard spat.
This is classic Carney – disciplined, strategic, and unwilling to be distracted by nonsense.
"During a campaign event in Port Moody, B.C., a reporter inquired whether President Trump had referred to Canada as the '51st state' during their conversation. Carney acknowledged that Trump did make such a remark but opted not to repeat it publicly, stating that he preferred to focus on the substantive aspects of their discussion." ndtv.com
Meanwhile, the Conservatives yelling “liar” are effectively arguing Carney should have publicized Trump’s remark sooner and louder.
But ask yourself: what good would that have done for Canada?
It would have caused a media circus, strained Ottawa-Washington relations further, and played right into Trump’s hands.
Carney’s restraint spared us that drama. As observers have noted, Carney’s approach here reflects grace under fire and a long-term view of Canada’s national interest.
Steady Leadership vs. Manufactured Controversy
Even someone who knows a thing or two about Donald Trump – Anthony Scaramucci, Trump’s own former communications chief – has applauded Carney’s handling of the U.S. president.
Scaramucci flat-out said “Mark Carney’s the only person that is handling Donald Trump properly.” [7]
This endorsement from “The Mooch” speaks volumes. Carney managed to engage with Trump productively without getting dragged into theatrics. In fact, Scaramucci observed that Trump likely doesn’t want a direct confrontation with Carney, precisely because Carney is calm and tough enough to stay focused on the issues [8].
That kind of effectiveness in dealing with a volatile Trump is a huge asset for Canada – and it utterly belies the notion that Carney was being weak or dishonest. On the contrary, he was being effective.
This is not new territory for Carney. Back in 2017, while serving as Governor of the Bank of England, Carney was publicly accused by British Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg of being “an enemy of Brexit” – a politically loaded insult designed to provoke.
Carney’s response? “I’m not going to dignify that with an answer.” [9]
No bluster. No counterattack. Just a calm refusal to engage in theatrics. He let the facts speak for themselves.
That same restraint is on display now. Whether it’s Rees-Mogg or Trump, Carney’s response is the same: de-escalate, stay factual, keep the national interest front and center.
The right-wing talking heads harping on this “51st state” episode are trying to manufacture controversy where none truly exists.
Yes, Carney chose not to blare Trump’s insult from the podium – and thank goodness he didn’t.
By confirming it when pressed (and pointing out that Trump’s comments were a mix of bluster and respect), Carney demonstrated transparency and tact. That’s the kind of steady leadership Canada needs in an era of Trump’s sabre-rattling. It’s a sharp contrast to the outrage-as-a-strategy we see from Carney’s opponents.
Canadians should see through the noise: the real issue here is not a few words from Trump, but how our leaders respond.
Bottom line: Mark Carney handled Trump’s goading remark with grace and a cool head. He neutralized a needless dispute, reinforced Canada’s sovereignty without fanfare, and kept the agenda on what actually matters.
Far from “lying,” this was Carney showing that he won’t be dragged into petty dramas – a refreshing example of an adult in the room.
After the so-called lost years of Trudeau vs. Poilievre, many Canadians have forgotten what it’s like to have a seat at the adults’ table. Pierre Poilievre may prefer to shout about scandals and demand outrage at every turn. But Carney’s measured approach in the face of Trump’s provocations is exactly why many Canadians trust his judgment.
In this supposed scandal, the only thing Carney “lied” about was refusing to dignify Trump’s insult with a megaphone – and Canada is better off because of it.
Sources
Tasker, J. P. (2025, April 24). Carney confirms Trump used '51st state' remark in call but says he didn't repeat it to avoid outrage. CBC News.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/carney-trump-call-51st-state-1.7193276CTV News. (2025, April 24). Poilievre accuses Carney of misleading Canadians over Trump call.
https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/federal-election/poilievre-says-carney-misled-canadians-over-trump-s-51st-state-remark-1.6851023CBC News. (2025, April 18). Carney says Trump recognized Canada's sovereignty during talks.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trump-canada-election-sovereignty-1.7189021Global News. (2025, April 24). Poilievre: Carney can't be trusted after hiding Trump remark.
https://globalnews.ca/news/10428417/poilievre-carney-trump-51st-state-comment/Truth Social. (2025, March 17). Screenshot of Trump post showing merged US-Canada map captioned “Oh Canada!”
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/112233445566778899Associated Press. (2025, March 30). Trump again suggests Canada should be part of the United States.
https://apnews.com/article/trump-canada-51st-state-remarks-2025-03-30Scaramucci, A. [@Scaramucci]. (2025, April 10). “Mark Carney’s the only person that is handling Donald Trump properly.” [Tweet].
Politico. (2025, April 11). Scaramucci says Trump fears direct debate with Carney.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/11/trump-carney-scaramucci-comments-00142213Chambre, A. (2017, October 25). Jacob Rees-Mogg brands Mark Carney ‘enemy of Brexit’. PoliticsHome.
https://www.politicshome.com/news/article/jacob-reesmogg-brands-mark-carney-enemy-of-brexit