US Vice-President JD Vance has mocked Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s approach to trade negotiations with US President Donald Trump, while praising Conservative MP Jamil Jivani’s behind-the-scenes role.
Speaking at a private Republican fundraiser in New York on Wednesday, Vance called Carney a “very sweet guy” but said the Canadian prime minister “comes in and puffs his chest out and says, ‘I’m going to, like, out-tough Donald Trump.’”
“It’s hilarious because Carney presents this as some victory for Canada when fundamentally, like, they climb down on a lot of issues,” Vance said, according to audio obtained by The Canadian Press.
Vance also praised Jivani, his longtime friend, as a “pretty effective advocate” for Canada, particularly on energy and automobile tariffs.
He dismissed Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as a “non-entity” in the negotiations.
“And the whole point of this is to change Canada’s behaviour,” Vance said.
The remarks come after Trump agreed to delay threatened tariffs on Canadian products for three days while negotiations continue.
Canada-US Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc returned to Washington on Thursday for talks with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer ahead of Saturday’s deadline.
