Trump denies U.S. sought to weaken French language in Canada trade talks

U.S. President Donald Trump publicly accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of lying about a key reason for the collapse of bilateral trade negotiations, denying claims that American negotiators sought to weaken French language protections in Canada. The exchange of accusations on Tuesday deepened the diplomatic rift following the failure of a trade deal that had been intended to avert new tariffs.

In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday morning, Trump called Carney a "weak and ineffective Prime Minister" and rejected the assertion that the French language was an irritant in the talks. "I would never interfere with Canadians speaking French! In fact, I have never even thought of doing such a stupid thing," Trump wrote, adding, "I love French Canadians!"

The president's comments came in direct response to remarks made by Carney on Monday during a news conference in Lévis, Quebec, alongside Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette. Speaking in French, Carney stated that for American negotiators, "the French language, Francophone culture, Canadian culture, these are irritants." He contrasted this with the Canadian perspective, saying, "Here in Quebec, here in Canada, these are rights....