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Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney mistakenly referred to Ontario Premier Doug Ford as the “President” in Malaysia. This drew comparisons to US President Donald Trump, who has often confused Canadian political titles in the past. Carney, who flew to Kuala Lumpur to attend the ASEAN summit, was speaking about Canada’s trade relations when he referred to Ford as “President Ford” before quickly correcting himself. “Did I say good friend Premier Ford? God! Sorry, I don’t know why I mix the two up, President and Premier Ford,” Carney said with a smile, acknowledging the error. The light-hearted moment came amid rising tensions between the US and Canada after Trump ended trade talks and raised tariffs on Canadian goods. Trade Tensions With US The diplomatic gaffe followed a turbulent week in North American trade politics. Trump abruptly halted discussions with Canada and announced new tariffs, accusing the Canadian government of trying to “influence Americans” through media campaigns. The row arose from a television advertisement launched by Ontario Premier Doug Ford, which was aired across US networks. The ad referenced former US President Ronald Reagan’s opposition to tariffs, angering Trump, who saw it as an attempt to undermine his policy stance. Ford later said the ad would be withdrawn, clarifying that it was not intended to interfere with US-Canada relations. Trump’s Past Confusion Over Canadian Titles Recently, Trump referred to Carney as the “President of Canada,” prompting a correction from Carney. Trump reportedly quipped in response, “At least I didn’t call you Governor.” Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau, faced similar moments of ridicule from Trump, who once joked about inviting Canada to become America’s 51st state, calling Trudeau its potential “Governor.”
