The US President was speaking alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in a bizarre press conference in the White House, where Trump also reaffirmed his desire to annex Canada
President Donald Trump has hinted at a "very big announcement" he plans to make before his journey to the Middle East. In a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trump teased that the news "is very positive.
"Like as big as it gets, and I won't tell you why. And it's very positive," he declared to journalists from the Oval Office on Tuesday, adding, "It is really, really, positive. That announcement will be made either Thursday, or Friday, or the Monday before we leave."
During the high-stakes meeting, overshadowed by Trump's repeated threats to annex Canada and the implementation of hefty 25 percent tariffs, Carney sat quietly as Trump spoke to the media about his imminent travels and forthcoming announcement.
Fresh off an election win where he took a hard line on Trump, Carney arrived ready to negotiate a comprehensive deal on trade and national security, seeking to repair the frayed relationship between the U.S. and Canada.
"I think I was probably the greatest thing that happened to him," Trump boasted as he greeted the Canadian leader at the White House. Carney responded to Trump's audacious claim with a skeptical eyebrow raise to the reporters and a good-natured chuckle.
As their talks began, Trump commented, "this is a very friendly conversation." He then asserted the upper hand by claiming that while the U.S. doesn't need "anything" from Canada except "friendship," Canada needs "everything" from the U.S., underscoring his push for increased domestic production.
"We don't really want cars from Canada," Trump asserted, going on to say, "We don't want steel from Canada because we're making our own steel."
When probed about whether he would consider lifting tariffs on Canada, Trump bluntly responded with a "No." Pressed for an explanation, his simple rejoinder was: "That's just the way it is."
In their Oval Office meeting, Trump reiterated his desire for Canada to become the 51st state of America. Nevertheless, Carney held his ground, insisting "Canada is not for sale" and emphasizing that it "won't be for sale, ever."
Carney made it clear that Canadians will always oppose the notion of joining the United States, to which Trump quipped, "Never say never." In response, Carney mouthed the word "never" in silence for the attending journalists.
Moreover, it seemed that Carney struggled to get a word in edgeways as Trump dominated the discourse. Much of what Trump spoke about veered off track from Canadian issues, instead touching upon usual areas of contention for him, such as his critique of the US military exit from Afghanistan.
"Like as big as it gets, and I won't tell you why. And it's very positive," he declared to journalists from the Oval Office on Tuesday, adding, "It is really, really, positive. That announcement will be made either Thursday, or Friday, or the Monday before we leave." (Read more at The Mirror)