U.S. President Donald Trump today interrupted Prime Minister Mark Carney during a media event in the Oval Office of the White House to make a joke about merging the two countries.
READ MORE: ‘He’s a nice man, but he can be nasty’: Trump hosts Carney and says Canada will leave ‘very happy’
The remarks came at the beginning of a chat between the two men. Trump was discussing his recent plan for peace in the Middle East, noting: “Literally every country in the world has supported the plan.”
Carney, hands folded in front of him, replies: “Yep.”
Trump continues: “But in the meantime we’ll spend some time and we’ll make some deals and we’ll do some things that are good for both of our countries. And Mark, it’s an honour to have you, thank you very much.”
Carney begins: “You kindly hosted me and some of my colleagues a few months ago and I said at the time you were — are — a transformative president.”
He continues: “And since then, the transformation in the economy, unprecedented commitments of NATO partners to defence spending, peace from India, Pakistan, through to Azerbaijan, Armenia, disabling Iran as a force of terror. And now — and I’m running out of time but this is in many respects the most important —”
Trump then cuts him off to say: “The merger of Canada and the United States. I’m only kidding.”
Carney, smiling and speaking over the laughter in the room, replies: “No! That wasn’t where I was going.”
Carney was
in Washington to discuss trade
, security and other matters with Trump.
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