Carney in Canada becomes the latest foreign leader to receive Trump treatment in the Oval Office

WASHINGTON (AP) – Meetings between Canadian leaders and the United States are not usually seen as high-risk showdowns, but there are few ordinary showsdowns on it. This is the first time that newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney has visited the Oval Office to see President Donald Trump, who spent months turning the northern neighbor of the United States into the 51st state.

The reporter quickly asked everyone what they were thinking. Trump said he remains interested in annexation of Canada, describing the border between the two countries as arbitrary boundaries.

Carney’s campaign has inspired Trump’s aggressive rhetoric and is now his chance to defend the president’s face for his country. He is polite and firm.

“Some places will never be sold,” Carney said, adding that Canada is one of them, “and never will be sold.”

Trump shrugged and raised his eyebrows. “Never say, never say,” he replied.

Carney shouted “Never, never, never.”

This interaction has enabled Trump to transform the Oval Office meeting from brief and dull events to unstable affairs that often force foreign leaders to choose between comforting or face-to-face with the U.S. president. His attitude may excite supporters and destabilize diplomats accustomed to attitudes toward more deliberate international relations.

“There is no formula to deal with this issue. He described the president’s unpredictable behavior as a “risk factor” that “deviates abnormally from norms.”

Carney seemed to have reached the right balance in Trump’s mind at least. At the end of the meeting, the president said, “I like this guy.”

Carney smiled.

Trump rewrites the rules

An invitation to the Oval Office has long been a peak of international reputation, but meetings are rarely noticeable. The reporter was taken to the room to take pictures, and if lucky, several questions were raised when the leader made perfunctory remarks.

Now, they are the raucous plot of the foreign policy reality show starring Trump. While the president can be a kind owner, he openly complains about the visitor state–their trade policies, lack of defense spending, and their understanding. He is also willing to ask questions about a series of topics of journalists and turn guests into silent audiences.

Since Trump returned to the office, 16 foreign leaders have visited the White House, surpassing Barack Obama and Joe Biden in similar positions in his presidency.

“As a result of the president’s commitment to transparency and accessibility, Americans can observe his foreign policy agenda to work in real time, which provides both foreign leaders and presidents with an opportunity to convey their message to the American people,” said a statement from White House Deputy Secretary Anna Kelly.

Meetings sometimes become endurance tests. On Tuesday, Carney heard Trump’s criticism, criticized California’s delayed high-speed rail project and boasted about upgrading the Oval Office with “Great Love and 24 Carat King” and was surprised to announce that the United States would stop bombing Hotis in Yemen.

Trump also made a long tangent to Obama’s plan for the Presidential Library in Chicago, claiming delays because his predecessor “just hopes to wake people up to build it.”

“He wants to do it very politically right, and he is not using good, tough, tough, mean construction workers,” Trump claimed.

As time passed, Carney’s lips tightened, his mouth twitched, and his eyes flew around the room. He held his hands before him, except for the essentially futile gesture of his attempt to say a word.

El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele was easier during her meeting with Trump. When Trump boasted that he had obtained the “highest mark” in his latest cognitive test, he laughed, criticized reporters for their “low ratings” and announced that he was “very flexible” in tariffs.

Elise Labott, a long-time journalist and now a researcher on the Foreign Relations Committee, dismissed the White House’s characteristics of the encounter, evidence of the president’s transparency.

“It’s just another part of the show,” she said, adding that the Oval Office meeting was “hijacked to part of the circus.”

Foreign leaders use pivots and deflections

Foreign leaders often take a cautious route to avoid facing Trump publicly and often rely on fast pivots when facing difficult topics.

In the Oval Office, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Trump spoke about the annexation of Greenland, the territory of Denmark, another NATO ally.

“I don’t want to drag NATO to that,” Rutt said, and then quickly moved to a field of agreement. When it comes to Arctic security, Rutt told Trump: “You are completely right.”

Jordanian King Abdullah II mocked Trump at a meeting, explaining his thoughts about the United States taking over Gaza and expelling Palestinians. This is one of the most sensitive issues for Abdullah, whose homeland of more than 2 million Palestinian refugees, avoided issues concerning Trump’s proposal. It was not until the meeting that he posted his objection to Trump’s thoughts on social media.

French President Emmanuel Macron is a rare leader who corrects Trump without being bounced back. When U.S. leaders claim that Europe is borrowing Ukrainian money instead of giving directly – Macron gently placed his left hand on Trump’s right forearm.

Trump got out. He told reporters: “If you believe it, it’s OK for me.”

In February, there was no such a bad meeting as Trump sat down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. After a fierce exchange with Russia’s best way to end the war, Trump told him: “It would be very difficult for such a business.”

“You have to be grateful,” Trump told Zelenskyy. “You don’t have a card.”

When the reporter left the room, Trump added: “It would be great TV.”

Trump keeps leaders on toes

Rufus Gifford, former Biden agreement director, said Trump has succeeded outside of his attention.

“Donald Trump has the ability to get his eyeballs. It’s undoubtedly impressive,” he said. “But just because he is able to get people to look at him doesn’t mean that the strategy is wise or beneficial to the United States of America.”

Max Bergmann, a former State Department official who is now the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the meeting “is always challenging because the president may evaporate.”

“This will cause many diplomats around the world to stop as to whether they want to arrange meetings,” he said.

But meetings with Trump are hard to avoid, especially for American allies.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has made strong preparations for his first encounter with Trump, understanding that the president rewards relationships and that it is difficult to recover if he doesn’t like you.

Starmer submitted a written invitation to President King Charles III for a state visit and praised him for returning the bust of Winston Churchill to the Oval Office. He also thanked Trump for changing Ukraine’s dialogue – even if he was far from Russia than European allies wanted to do it.

Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin came out unscathedly unscathed when Trump claimed that Ireland “takes” American companies through “improper taxation”, while allowing the president to interact with boxing and golf.

“Every leader must have his own strategy,” Murhal said.

__

Associated Press writer Jill Lawless contributed to the report in London.