Canada’s New Prime Minister Said Trump Wants To "Break" Canada But Canadians Won’t Let That Happen
Mark Carney was sworn in as Canada’s 24th prime minister on March 14, succeeding Justin Trudeau, who had served for nine years.
Canada’s new prime minister Mark Carney has accused US President Donald Trump of trying to "break" Canada and called for snap elections so he has a stronger mandate to deal with the trade war between the two countries and Trump’s threats of annexing the country.
On March 4, Trump imposed 25% tariffs on imported Canadian goods and has repeatedly called for the US to annex Canada and turn it into the 51st US state, saying Canada is not a real country.
Carney said on Sunday, March 23, that Canada is “facing the most significant crisis of our lifetimes” because of Trump’s “unjustified trade actions and his threats” to Canada’s sovereignty and called for a snap election on April 28.
“[Trump] wants to break us, so America can own us. We will not let that happen,” Carney said.
By initiating an election, Carney is seeking a direct mandate from the people as his government did not hold a majority in parliament, making it vulnerable to a no-confidence vote.
He said Canada will need to build a stronger economy and become a more secure country to take on Trump's growing threats.
“We're over the shock of the betrayal but we should never forget the lessons. We have to look out for ourselves. We have to look out for each other,” he added.
Carney was sworn in as Canada’s 24th prime minister on March 14, succeeding Justin Trudeau, who had served for nine years.
He will be competing against Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, whose party had maintained a lead in polls since mid-2023.
However, recent surveys indicate a much tighter race, according to the BBC.
Isha Jain
Sofia Hou
