Trump says idea of him interfering with Canadians speaking French is a ’stupid thing’

President Donald Trump, seen addressing a crowd in Myrtle Beach, S.C., on Aug. 21, has threatened new tariffs on Canada starting Jan. 1. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Photo: (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Cassandra Yanez-Leyton (new window) · CBC News

Just days away from the launch of Quebec's provincial election, U.S. President Donald Trump said the idea of him interfering with Canadians speaking French is a « stupid thing, » in a post to his Truth Social account on Tuesday morning.

The president was referring to one of the reasons (new window) cited for the last-minute breakdown of trade negotiations between the U.S. and Canada last Friday.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has said some of the demands made by the U.S. would have threatened the French language by undermining subsidies to French-language media and the requirement for bilingual product labelling.

During an announcement in Lévis, Que., on Monday, Carney clarified that the issue of discoverability of French-Canadian content on streaming platforms was considered an irritant by the American negotiators.

Searching for such programs on streaming platforms is easy right now because of a Quebec law that pushes that content, Carney said.

Regarding the labelling, yes, it's an irritant that the Americans maintain, but each time Canada says: no, no, no.

In his social media post, Trump said he has never even thought of interfering with Canadians speaking French.

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, he wrote, adding that he loves French Canadians.

Last year, the Quebec government introduced Bill 109 (new window), titled An Act to affirm the cultural sovereignty of Québec and to enact the Act respecting the discoverability of French-language cultural content in the digital environment. The bill forces streaming giants to add French-language content and make it more easily accessible to users.

It became law in December 2025.

Quebec also has strict regulations around labels on product packaging (new window), which must be translated into French with some exceptions.

This particular rule, enshrined in Bill 96, caused the U.S. government to list that piece of legislation as a trade irritant in early 2025.