President Donald Trump asserted on Wednesday that Canada’s existence is owed to the United States, criticizing Prime Minister Mark Carney for denouncing coercion by major powers. Trump, speaking in Davos, Switzerland, where he advocated for the U.S. to acquire Greenland, emphasized the need for a missile defense system known as the “golden dome” to cover North America. He mentioned that this system would benefit Canada due to its geographical location but expressed disappointment in Canada’s lack of appreciation for such protection.
Without directly naming Trump, Carney mentioned “American hegemony” in his speech and highlighted the use of economic integration as a tool by global powers. Carney emphasized the need for Canada to adapt to a changing global landscape by being both principled and pragmatic, diversifying trade relationships, and cooperating with like-minded allies to resist domination by larger nations.
During his speech, Trump again brought up Canada while discussing the impact of his global tariffs policy, claiming that these tariffs are attracting factories back to the U.S., including from Canada and other countries like Mexico and Japan. Despite Trump’s focus on the automotive sector and his claims of success in reshaping the industry, data suggests a decline in auto industry jobs in the U.S. over the past year.
Trump’s remarks about Canada and his actions, such as posting an altered image of the U.S. flag over Canada and Greenland, have sparked reactions from Canadian officials, including Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who described Trump’s behavior as unacceptable and attributed global upheaval to the U.S. president.