Carney’s quiet, confident approach with Trump appears to hit right notes

Prime Minister Mark Carney may never match Donald Trump’s bluster. But in the delicate world of international diplomacy — especially with an American president known for volatility and vanity — that’s exactly the point.

While the headlines out of the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alta., on Monday focused on Trump’s early departure, the real story is what’s been quietly happening behind the scenes.

Despite Trump cutting his participation at the event short to deal with the Israel-Iran conflict, sources close to both camps say he and Carney are making steady progress toward a new economic agreement between Canada and the U.S.

The two have reportedly been texting and having one-on-one telephone conversations for the past two weeks.

It’s still early. No formal deal has been announced. But for the first time since Trump returned to the White House, there’s a genuine sense of movement toward a more stable, mutually beneficial trade relationship. And Carney’s steady hand, pragmatic style and respect-driven diplomacy appear to be paying off.

After Monday’s meeting, the New York Times described it this way: “The newly elected prime minister of Canada deployed a balancing act between flattery and discipline.”

That’s a dramatic departure from the strained, often theatrical standoff that defined Trump’s relationship with former prime minister Justin Trudeau. Carney is taking a different approach — one built not on ego, but on results.

Rather than respond to Trump’s provocations with public indignation, Carney has chosen to keep communication channels open. Yes, he has publicly denounced Trump’s unjustified and punishing tariffs (which hurt both Canada and the U.S.) and his musings about wanting Canada to become a U.S. state.

But he’s avoided name-calling and hasn’t taken to social media to score political points. Instead, he’s shown Trump respect — not because he agrees with him, but because he understands that diplomacy with Trump works best when it’s personal, not performative.

Carney knows that getting a deal with Trump means letting the president think he’s winning. To that end, he’s strategically allowed Trump a few public victories, including strengthening security at the Canada-U.S. border and showing a willingness to revisit some trade deal provisions, including around energy.

None of these so-called “wins” jeopardizes Canada’s economic interests. In fact, by lowering the temperature and allowing Trump some rhetorical leeway, Carney has kept the bigger picture in focus: reducing tariffs, strengthening cross-border supply chains and restoring economic certainty for Canadian industries battered by Trump’s erratic policies.

That isn’t capitulation. It’s strategy.

Carney, a former central banker with an eye for long-term stability, understands that the real goal is securing market access and lowering trade friction — not flexing political muscle. In today’s climate, where protectionism and populism are on the rise, that kind of level-headed pragmatism is rare and desperately needed.

Trump hasn’t changed. He remains unpredictable, temperamental and deeply focused on optics. Carney is showing a different kind of leadership — one rooted in respect, patience and quiet confidence — can make progress even in the most difficult political terrain.

Behind the scenes, Canadian officials are working closely with their U.S. counterparts on a framework that could lay the foundation for a new trade accord. That may include new mechanisms to co-ordinate energy policy, including harmonized approaches to cross-border pipeline approvals and clean-technology investments.

Carney’s background in finance and climate policy gives him credibility here, both with U.S. negotiators and business leaders who want clarity on the rules of engagement going forward.

It’s not flashy work, but it works.

Compare that with Trudeau’s approach during Trump’s first term: lots of public virtue-signalling, plenty of stern rhetoric and little to show for it beyond diplomatic standoffs and economic retaliation.

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Trudeau may have scored points with progressive voters at home, but he never figured out how to actually get things done with Trump — a man who doesn’t care about policy detail but obsesses over personal slights and public image.

Carney has heeded that lesson. He’s not trying to be Trump’s friend. He’s not pretending the two see eye-to-eye.

Rather, he’s engaging with Trump on the president’s terms — soul-crushing as that may be — giving him enough symbolic wins to maintain momentum while keeping Canada’s strategic interests front and centre.

It’s the kind of balance that’s difficult to maintain, especially when critics inevitably accuse the prime minister of appeasing a bully. But Carney seems willing to absorb that criticism in favour of the larger goal: protecting Canadian jobs, opening markets and restoring stability to a trade relationship that has veered off course.

There are no guarantees. Trump could reverse course at any moment. The path to a final deal is littered with political landmines. For now, Canada is in a stronger negotiating position than it was just a few months ago — and that’s largely thanks to Carney’s diplomatic discipline.

In an era of division and dysfunction, Carney’s calm competence is a welcome change — and exactly what Canada needs.

tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca

Tom Brodbeck
Columnist

Tom Brodbeck is an award-winning author and columnist with over 30 years experience in print media. He joined the Free Press in 2019. Born and raised in Montreal, Tom graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and commerce. Read more about Tom.

Tom provides commentary and analysis on political and related issues at the municipal, provincial and federal level. His columns are built on research and coverage of local events. The Free Press’s editing team reviews Tom’s columns before they are posted online or published in print – part of the Free Press’s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.