Prime Minister Mark Carney, right, and Bonhomme Carnaval raise their legs together in a traditional carnival kick, at the beginning of a Cabinet planning forum at the Citadelle in Quebec City, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026.(Jacques Boissinot /The Canadian Press via AP)
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday responded to US President Donald Trump’s comment that “Canada lives because of the United States,” saying Canada thrives because of Canadian values.
“Canada doesn’t live because of the United States. Canada thrives because we are Canadian,” Carney said.
The Canadian Prime Minister pointed out that the two countries have built a remarkable partnership in the areas of economy, security, and rich cultural exchange, but said “we are masters in our home, this is our own country, it’s our future, the choice is up to us.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks at the beginning of a Cabinet Planning Forum at the Citadelle in Quebec City, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (Jacques Boissinot /The Canadian Press via AP)
What Carney said
In a speech before a cabinet retreat in Quebec City, Carney said staying true to Canada’s values is key to maintaining its sovereignty.
“We can show that another way is possible, that the arc of history isn’t destined to be warped toward authoritarianism and exclusion; it can still bend toward progress and justice,” Carney said.
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Carney said in a time of rising populism and ethnic nationalism, Canada can show how diversity is a strength, not a weakness.
“There are billions of people who aspire to what we have built: a pluralistic society that works,” Carney said.
He said Canada delivers shared prosperity and has a democracy that chooses to protect the vulnerable against the powerful.
“It’s a great country for everyone. It is the greatest country in the world to be a regular person. You don’t have to be born rich, or to a landed family. You don’t have to be a certain colour or worship a certain god,” he said.
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Carney vs Trump
Carney, who succeeded Justin Trudeau, Canada’s Prime Minister, in March 2025, led the incumbent Labour Party to a remarkable victory in the general elections in April. Among others, one of the key areas of focus for Carney was protecting Canada’s sovereignty amid Trump’s repeated taunts that the country should become the 51st state of the US.
Even after assuming office, Carney and Trump did not get along well despite the two claiming to have a friendly rapport.
During his address at the World Economic Forum earlier this week, Carney condemned coercion by great powers on smaller countries without mentioning Trump’s name.
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
A day later, Trump, during his speech in Davos, hit out at Carney and Canada, saying that the country “lives because of the United States.” “Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements,” he said.
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Trump said Canada gets many “freebies” from the US and “should be grateful.” He said Carney’s Davos speech showed he “wasn’t so grateful.”
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Prime Minister Mark Carney, right, and Bonhomme Carnaval raise their legs together in a traditional carnival kick, at the beginning of a Cabinet planning forum at the Citadelle in Quebec City, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026.(Jacques Boissinot /The Canadian Press via AP) 
