Trump claims Carney lied about trade deal terms, says he 'loves French Canadians'

U.S. President Donald Trump has accused Prime Minister Mark Carney of lying about the terms of the failed trade deal with Canada in a Tuesday social media post.

On Truth Social, Trump wrote: “I would never interfere with Canadians speaking French! In fact, I have never even thought of doing such a stupid thing.”

He went on: “This lie was made up by a weak and ineffective Prime Minister in an attempt to gain political support, which he has totally lost, from the people of Quebec.”

The U.S. president concluded the post by writing: “I love French Canadians!”

His comments come after Carney said on Monday that the French language was seen as an “irritant” by Americans during trade deal negotiations, but stressed that “here in Canada, these are rights.”

I would never interfere with Canadians speaking French! In fact, I have never even thought of doing such a stupid thing. This lie was made up by a weak and ineffective Prime Minister in an attempt to gain political support, which he has totally lost, from the people of Quebec. I… pic.twitter.com/3XIHLuufiX

The PM made the comments at a news conference in Levis, Quebec, alongside Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette.

“For Americans, French language, Francophone culture, Canadian culture, these are irritants,” he said in French. “Here in Quebec, here in Canada, these are rights. So there is an enormous gap between our perspective and the U.S. perspective.”

Carney had also touched on the issue on Saturday, when he said he had walked away from a deal that included “threats to French language and culture.”

On Monday, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer called the accusations “a funny, fake story,” and said the disagreement was over Canada “forc(ing) American tech companies to take their earnings and give a percentage to their competitors in Canada.”

Canada’s laws protecting the French language include Bill 109, passed in Quebec last December, which compels streaming platforms to prioritize French-language content, and the Online Streaming Act, which became law in 2023 and requires such platforms to invest in and promote Canadian content.

The Globe and Mail reported on Monday that U.S. negotiators had demanded Canada drop requirements for American streaming companies to promote Canadian content, including French language content, citing a senior government source.