Managing Trump: (Tariffs & ALMOST everything else – General):1)Trump withdraws Carney’s invitation to ‘Board of Peace’; 2)(Update) Trump says Carney is not ‘grateful’ in Davos speech; 3)Lutnick calls Carney’s speech ‘political noise’ and cautions Canada on China deal; 4)After tariffs Trump says it’s a ‘good thing’ Carney signed a deal with China
1)Trump withdraws Carney’s invitation to ‘Board of Peace’
Courtesy Barrie 360.com and Canadian Press
By Kelly Geraldine Malone, January 23, 2026
U.S. President Donald Trump has rescinded an invitation to Prime Minister Mark Carney to join his new “Board of Peace” — marking the latest upheaval in the relationship between Canada and the United States as a critical trade agreement is set to be reviewed.
In a post on social media Thursday night, Trump did not give details about why he was withdrawing Carney’s invitation but called it “the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled, at any time.”
Trump’s post comes after Carney gave a widely-applauded speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday where he warned that the old world order is dead and urged middle powers to band together as larger ones try to pressure them through economic coercion.
Carney’s comments sent ripples throughout the international community and his speech was cited by European leaders as they warned about a rupture in long-standing relationships.
The speech was also noticed by Trump, who in his own comments at the WEF summit on Wednesday, said “Canada gets a lot of freebies from us” and should be thankful.
“I watched your prime minister yesterday. He wasn’t so grateful,” Trump said. “But they should be grateful to us. Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.”
Carney had pushed back on Trump’s comments in Quebec City earlier Thursday, saying “Canada and the United States have built a remarkable partnership in the economy, in security and in rich cultural exchange.”
“But Canada doesn’t live because of the United States,” Carney said. “Canada thrives because we are Canadian.”
It’s unclear what ultimately led to Trump’s Thursday night actions but members of his team had been critical of Carney’s comments at the international gathering.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick called the Davos speech “political noise” and warned Ottawa’s recent deal with China could upend negotiations of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade, known as CUSMA, which are set to take place this year.
The White House has not yet responded to a request for comment.
Earlier Thursday, Trump rolled out his new “Board of Peace” at the WEF summit but many world leaders, including Canada and most European allies, were not in attendance. Fewer than 20 countries were represented at the event, including Argentina, Turkey, Hungary, Bulgaria and Pakistan.
The peace board was initially envisioned as a small group of world leaders overseeing the Gaza situation as part of Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan. As details emerged, it morphed into something far more ambitious.
The board became even more controversial when it was confirmed Russian President Vladimir Putin had been invited to take part, despite Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
Carney initially expressed an openness to join but later was more cautious, saying there were still many unanswered questions about the board’s structure and the permanent membership fee of $1 billion.
It’s not clear how many nations have been asked to join the board, but at this point it appears Carney is the only world leader to have that invite rescinded — which could set the tone for a looming review of the trilateral trade pact with Canada, the United States and Mexico.
CUSMA was negotiated during the first Trump administration but since the president’s return to the White House he has called the trade agreement “transitional,” saying it may have served its purpose. Earlier this month, Trump said the trade pact was “irrelevant” to him.
CUSMA has shielded Canada from the worst of Trump’s tariffs. Canada was hit with 35 per cent tariffs but those duties don’t apply to goods compliant under the continental trade pact.
Canadian industries are still being hammered by separate duties on things like steel, aluminum, copper, lumber and cabinets.
Carney had worked to lower tensions and find a tariff off-ramp during two meetings at the White House in Washington last year, where Trump showered the prime minister with compliments.
Bilateral negotiations, however, have been frozen since October when Trump was angered by an Ontario-sponsored ad quoting former president Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs.
— With files from Catherine Morrison in Quebec City and The Associated Press
2)(Update) Trump says Carney is not ‘grateful’ in Davos speech
Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press
By Kelly Geraldine Malone, January 21, 2026
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Mark Carney is not “grateful” after the prime minister warned an international audience that the world has entered a dangerous new age of great power rivalries.
During a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump said he heard Carney’s Tuesday speech, which was widely praised around the world. The president said “Canada gets a lot of freebies from us” and should be thankful.
“I watched your prime minister yesterday. He wasn’t so grateful,” Trump said. “But they should be grateful to us. Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.”
While Carney’s speech — which drew a standing ovation at the elite annual international forum — never mentioned Trump by name, the prime minister warned the old world order is dead and urged middle powers to band together as larger ones try to pressure them through economic coercion.
Trump’s comments about Carney came as the president mentioned his “Golden Dome” plan for a missile defence shield. He previously said it would cost Ottawa $61 billion to join — all while insisting that Canada should become the “51st state.”
The president’s latest dig at Carney came as no surprise to Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who noted it was disappointing to see Trump post an image on social media with the American flag superimposed over Canada and Greenland earlier this week.
“That’s typical President Trump,” Ford told reporters in Toronto. “He goes out on the attack constantly.”
The premier faced the president’s anger in October over a TV ad purchased by his government quoting former president Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs. Blowback over the ad led Trump to freeze trade talks with Canada.
World leaders have struggled to respond to an increasingly unstable United States. Trump’s volatile tariff policies and threats against other countries’ sovereignty have upended traditional alliances and spread doubt about the United States’ commitment to NATO.
The president’s comments about taking Greenland have rattled America’s allies and overshadowed the Davos forum.
Trump had said he would hit Denmark and other European countries with tariffs if they did not sign over Greenland to the United States. He walked back that threat in a social media post Wednesday – the same day Europe suspended approval of a trade deal reached with the U.S. last summer.
In the post, Trump said he had a productive meeting with NATO Sec. Gen. Mark Rutte and claimed they “formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic region.” He said they are having discussions about “The Golden Dome as it pertains to Greenland.”
When asked if comments about the “entire Arctic region” included Canada, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in an email to The Canadian Press that “the details of the framework will continue to be unveiled as discussions continue.”
During Wednesday’s rambling speech, Trump ruled out using the military to take the autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark but insisted he wants Greenland, “including right, title and ownership.”
Trump has also linked his expansionist desires to his displeasure over not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.
In a stark warning to NATO, Trump told the forum that members of the military alliance can approve of the United States seizing Greenland “and we’ll be very appreciative. Or you can say, ‘No,’ and we will remember.”
Trump mistakenly named Iceland instead of Greenland repeatedly during the speech.
Danish officials and European leaders have been clear the United States taking Greenland against its citizens’ wishes is a red line they are unwilling to cross.
Carney also met with Rutte Wednesday and they both “reaffirmed their mutual commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Denmark, including Greenland,” according to a readout from the Prime Minister’s Office.
— with files from Allison Jones in Toronto and The Associated Press
3)Lutnick calls Carney’s speech ‘political noise’ and cautions Canada on China deal
Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press
By Kelly Geraldine Malone, Jan. 22, 2026.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick called Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum “political noise” on Thursday and criticized Canada’s recent deal with China.
“Give me a break,” Lutnick said on Bloomberg TV. “They have the second best deal in the world and all I got to do is listen to this guy whine and complain.”
In his Tuesday speech at the WEF summit in Davos, Switzerland — which was applauded internationally — Carney warned that the old world order is dead and urged middle powers to band together as larger ones try to pressure them through economic coercion.
Canada has been shielded from the worst impacts of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs by the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade, known as CUSMA.
Trump increased tariffs on Canada to 35 per cent last August but those duties don’t apply to goods that comply with the trilateral trade pact. Canada is being hammered by separate sector-specific tariffs on industries like steel, aluminum, automobiles, lumber and cabinets.
Lutnick cautioned that Ottawa’s recent deal with China could upend CUSMA negotiations, which have started ahead of a mandatory review this year. That deal will see China lower agricultural tariffs in exchange for Canada opening some market access for Chinese electric vehicles.
Lutnick said Canada is “playing with a set of rules that they haven’t really thought through.” The commerce secretary went on to praise how the United States is doing deals with China.
Carney’s speech sent ripples throughout the international community and his comments were widely cited by European leaders warning about a fundamental rupture in long-standing trade and defence relationships.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom — who is laying the groundwork for a possible Democrat presidential run — told the forum that multiple leaders in the United States sent him transcripts of Carney’s speech.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, echoing Carney’s speech, said “we are not at the mercy of this new world order.”
“We do have a choice,” Merz said Thursday. “We can shape the future.”
Despite Trump’s repeated demands for ownership of Greenland — a sovereign territory of the Kingdom of Denmark — and his repeated tariff threats, Lutnick maintained that the United States still has a good relationship with Canada and Europe.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer did not express concern about the statements by Carney and European leaders at the Davos forum. He told Fox News there is a “new world order” emerging and European officials are starting to recognize it.
“We are entering into a period where some of the economic rules of the past are no longer effective, where some of the security arrangements may need to be rearranged,” he said. “So there is an acknowledgment of that.
4)After tariffs Trump says it’s a ‘good thing’ Carney signed a deal with China
Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press
By Kelly Geraldine Malone, Jan. 16, 2026.
U.S. President Donald Trump shouts a comment as he walks to Marine One for departure from the South Lawn of the White House on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
While President Donald Trump said Friday it’s a “good thing” that Prime Minister Mark Carney has signed a trade deal with China, his trade czar cautioned that Canada could regret the decision.
When asked about Carney making the deal as he left the White House on Friday, Trump said, “That’s OK.”
“That’s what he should be doing. It’s a good thing for him to sign a trade deal,” Trump said. “If you can get a deal with China, you should do that.”
Canada announced a deal with Beijing earlier Friday to slash tariffs on a set number of Chinese electric vehicles in exchange for China cutting duties on agriculture products, including canola.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CNBC on Friday that the deal is “problematic for Canada.”
“I think in the long run they are not going to like having made that deal,” he said.
Canada’s deal with China marks a major break from the United States as Ottawa confronts the effects of massive U.S. tariffs that are rattling Canadian industries.
The U.S. imposed 35 per cent economywide tariffs on Canada, but those duties do not apply to goods compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade, known as CUSMA. Trump also implemented separate sector-specific tariffs on industries like steel, aluminum, copper, lumber and cabinets.
The idea of a Canadian prime minister going to Beijing to secure a trade deal was almost unimaginable not long ago, said Kyle Chan, a fellow at the Washington-based Brookings Institute.
“I think it’s a sign of a major break with the U.S.,” he said.
In 2024, Ottawa took action against Chinese EVs to match the United States. It also imposed duties on Chinese steel and aluminum to appease the incoming Trump administration.
Carney has said Canada urgently needs to diversify its trade. At a news conference in Beijing, Carney said the new deal is “a partnership that reflects the world as it is today.”
Trump’s return to the White House last year worried Beijing, which thought the United States would work with allies to form a trade coalition against China.
Instead, Chan said, Trump’s imperialistic rhetoric and tariffs have upended geopolitics, resulting in traditional American allies looking for stability elsewhere, including China.
On Monday, the European Union announced it was working with Beijing to resolve disputes around imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles.
Canada did not receive credit from the Trump administration for aligning its policies with the United States around China, said Christopher Sands, director of Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Canadian Studies. The deal with China “suggests that Canada can’t be simply taken for granted,” he added.
“Part of the problem with Canada is being taken for granted and the voluntary alignment doesn’t get noticed,” Sands said. “Whereas suggesting Canada is going to go in a different direction does draw attention.”
Democrats took to social media to say that Canada’s deal shows the president’s policies are alienating long-standing American allies.
“The most basic principle in politics and geopolitics is loyalty to friends. And we weren’t just disloyal — we were hostile,” Brian Schatz, a senator from Hawaii, posted on social media.
While Trump has suggested he’s open to Chinese investment — he mentioned it during a visit to a Detroit auto plant earlier this week — some in the president’s orbit expressed skepticism about Canada’s outreach to China.
Chris LaCivita, a senior adviser to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, posted on social media that it was “asinine … the current Prime Minister of Canada advocating a strategic partnership with communist China.”
Fen Osler Hampson, a professor of international affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa and co-chair of the Expert Group on Canada-U.S. Relations, said Carney is taking a risk “with a mercurial and vindictive president who may well see Carney’s Chinese caper as a betrayal and as a threat to North American security.”
“I think the question you always ask yourself is, ‘What’s the bigger game plan here?'” Hampson said.
“And I think Carney believes that the China deal is a valuable bargaining chip in the upcoming CUSMA renewal negotiations.”
Trump’s statements on trade have rattled Canada and Mexico ahead of a review of the trilateral trade pact this year. Trump on Tuesday called CUSMA “irrelevant” and repeated his claim that the United States does not need anything from Canada.
Ottawa’s deal with China shows that Canada has options, Hampson said.
“The agreement with China is a calculated risk, but I think it sends a signal we’re not going to be a patsy in Trump’s trade wars,” he said.
— With files from Dylan Robertson in Ottawa