(LifeSiteNews) — U.S. President Donald Trump suggested he would prefer Mark Carney to continue as Canada’s prime minister instead of Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who Trump said was “no friend” of his.
In an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham that aired Tuesday night, Trump said that Carney would be “easier” to deal with than Poilievre and said virtually nothing negative about Carney.
“I think it’s easier to deal actually with a Liberal, and maybe they’re going to win, but I don’t really care. It doesn’t matter to me at all,” Trump said, adding that, in his view, Poilievre seems to have a “negative” view of him.
Trump said that the “Conservative that’s running is stupidly no friend of mine.”
“I don’t know him, but he said negative things,” Trump observed, adding, “So, when he says negative things, I couldn’t care less.”
Today, Poilievre hit back at Trump, saying that the reason Trump endorsed Carney was that he “knows” he will be a “tough negotiator.”
“Last night, President Donald Trump endorsed Mark Carney. Why? Because, as Trump said, he’s ‘easier’ to deal with, and knows that I will be a tough negotiator and always put Canada First,” noted the Conservative leader.
“Carney is weak and would cave to Trump’s demands, just like he did when he moved his company headquarters from Canada to New York City. Canadians don’t want a weak and conflicted leader. They want a strong Prime Minister who will put Canada First.”
Carney, who was installed as Canada’s 24th prime minister last Friday, now serves as the leader of the nation despite never having been elected as a member of Parliament.
He has admitted he is an “elitist” and a “globalist” and has been criticized by Conservatives as well as others for his extensive ties to globalist groups like the World Economic Forum and his apparent similarities to Justin Trudeau.
Poilievre has blasted Carney as an “establishment” Liberal politician who was “installed” by “Justin Trudeau’s insiders.”
In recent weeks, Trump has stated many times that he thinks Canada should be the “51st” state, a comment that was rebuked by former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Carney, and Poilievre.
A little over a week ago, Trump announced he was giving Mexico and Canada a 30-day reprieve on 25 percent export tariffs for goods covered by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on free trade.