Did Trump shut down U.K. PM’s remarks on Canada? Here’s what happened

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U.S. President Donald Trump met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House on Thursday. While the main part of their discussions revolved around the Russia-Ukraine war and a trade agreement between the two countries, Canada appeared to be a hot button issue.

Trump has consistently commented about his neighbours to the north, saying he wants to turn Canada into the 51st state, and even referring to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “governor.” He announced a 25-per-cent tariff on most Canadian goods imported to the U.S. on Feb. 1, which was supposed to go into effect on Feb. 4. Canada countered, saying it would implement the same levy on American goods entering Canada. The tariffs were paused temporarily. However, Trump has resumed his plan, he said in a post on Truth Social, with tariffs on Canadian goods expected to be implemented on Tuesday.

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Yet again, during Thursday’s press conference, Canada came up in the conversation. Here’s what happened.

What was said about Canada at a press conference with Trump and Starmer?

During a press conference held after Trump and Starmer met at the White House, a reporter directed a question at Trump about tariffs, followed by a question for Starmer. Starmer was asked if the pair had discussed Trump’s “repeated desire to annex Canada” and if King Charles III expressed any concern over Trump’s “apparent desire to remove one of (the King’s) realms from his control.”

This was in reference to Trump saying he wanted to turn Canada into a 51st state on multiple occasions. Canada is part of the Commonwealth with King Charles of the United Kingdom as its head.

Trump gave his response first, addressing the first half of the reporter’s questions. He then passed the floor to Starmer.

“We had a really good discussion, a productive discussion…as a result of which our teams are now going to be working together on an economic deal. Our team is going to be working together on security in Ukraine,” said Starmer. “You mentioned Canada. I think you’re trying to find a divide between us that doesn’t exist.”

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He continued: “We’re the closest of nations and we had very good discussions, but we didn’t address Canada.”

How did Trump react to questions about Canada?

As Starmer wrapped up his statement, Trump said, “That’s enough. Thank you.”

It seemed as though Trump’s words were directed at Starmer, to get him to stop talking. However, Trump was addressing someone in the crowd, making a gesture as he spoke. Then he pointed to a member of the media to indicate he was ready for the next question.

“Please, go ahead. Go head,” he said. The press conference continued and the topic of Canada didn’t come up again.

As The Hill reported, there was speculation that Trump was shutting down Starmer’s response. However, in a post on X, the White House’s rapid response account said that Trump was “clearly” speaking to a reporter.

What is Trudeau’s relationship like with Starmer?

The relationship between Trudeau and Starmer is seemingly cordial. Most recently, they met on Feb. 23.

They “discussed G7 co-operation in addressing common global challenges,” as well as their support for Ukraine and “emphasized the importance of working toward a just and lasting peace,” according to a news release from Trudeau’s office. During their meeting, they “highlighted the close collaboration between Canada and the United Kingdom on a number of shared priorities.”

“They agreed to stay in close contact,” said the release.

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