Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney took a subtle swipe at President Donald Trump’s plan to make Canada the 51st state, posting a video of him and comedian Mike Myers that ends with the signature Canadian diss, “elbows up.”
Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa for comment via email on Sunday.
Why It Matters
The United States and Canada have long shared a friendly relationship, but tensions have escalated in recent weeks following Trump’s tariff agenda and provocative remarks about making Canada the 51st state.
Trump has said tariffs are necessary to pressure Canadian officials to increase security on the border and stop the flow of fentanyl into the U.S., but economists say American consumers will face higher prices as a result of the policy.
Trump has imposed a 25 percent tariff on Canadian imports, alongside a 10 percent tariff on Canadian energy imports. Canada has responded by implementing its own retaliatory tariffs, leaving the two countries in a trade war. Carney, who recently succeeded Justin Trudeau as Canada’s prime minister, has called Trump’s trade policy “unjust” and has rejected calls by the president to make Canada the 51st state.
Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP
What To Know
In a video posted Saturday evening, Carney appeared alongside Canadian actor Myers, best known for Austin Powers and Saturday Night Live (SNL), both donning Team Canada hockey jerseys.
Carney playfully questioned Myers’ Canadian credentials, pointing out that the actor now lives in the U.S. He then quizzed him on Canadian childhood memories, national trivia, and, of course, hockey.
After a series of lighthearted exchanges, Carney concluded with a smile, “Wow. You really are Canadian.” Myers then followed up, “Let me ask you Mr. Prime Minister, will there always be a Canada?”
“There will always be a Canada,” Carney confirmed.
The two then said, “Elbows up.” The camera flashes to their backs, with Myer’s jersey reading “Never 51,” in reference to the country’s sovereignty.
“Elbows up,” a phrase originating from hockey, has been embraced and used by Canadians as a rallying cry to stand up and defend their country. The phrase has gained traction across social media with users pushing for Canada to defend its borders and respond to Trump’s trade war.
Myers appeared on SNL earlier this month wearing a shirt that read: “Canada is not for sale.”
On Tuesday, Trump told Fox News host Laura Ingraham, “Canada was meant to be the 51st state because we subsidize Canada by $200 billion a year,” referencing an exaggerated estimate of the U.S. trade deficit with Canada, which the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office placed at $63.3 billion for 2024.
Before Carney took office, Trump repeatedly referred to Trudeau as “governor” in an effort to reframe Canada as a U.S. state.
Carney has made other subtle jabs at Trump and the U.S., such as making his first foreign trip to Europe instead of the States and emphasizing Canada’s support for “reliable partners.”
Carney and Trump have yet to officially speak.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham on Tuesday: “I deal with every country, indirectly or directly. One of the nastiest countries to deal with is Canada. … Trudeau—I call him Governor Trudeau—his people were nasty, and they weren’t telling the truth. They never told the truth.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters earlier in March: “[President Trump] made an argument for why Canada would be better off joining the United States from an economic perspective and the like. He’s made that argument repeatedly, and I think it stands for itself.”
What Happens Next?
While Canada is unlikely to become part of the U.S., tariffs will continue to affect both countries. Many of those tariffs—including those covered by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) free trade agreement, which Trump negotiated between the U.S., Canada and Mexico during his first term—have been pushed back to April 2.
Meanwhile, Carney has called early general elections to take place on April 28.
