Canada's Carney becomes the latest foreign leader to get the Trump treatment in the Oval Office

WASHINGTON (AP) — A gathering betwixt the leaders of Canada and the United States is not usually considered a high-stakes showdown, but determination was small mean astir this one. Here was recently elected Prime Minister Mark Carney making his archetypal sojourn to the Oval Office to spot President Donald Trump, who has spent months musing astir turning America's bluish neighbour into the 51st state.

It didn't instrumentality agelong for a newsman to inquire astir what was connected everyone's mind. Trump said helium was inactive funny successful annexing Canada, describing the borderline betwixt the 2 countries arsenic thing much than an arbitrary line.

Carney's run was fueled by a question of choler astatine Trump's assertive rhetoric, and present was his accidental to support his state to the president's face. He was polite and firm.

"Some places are ne'er for sale," Carney said. Canada is 1 of them, helium added, and “it won't beryllium for sale, ever.”

Trump gave a small motion and raised his eyebrows. “Never accidental never,” helium responded.

Carney mouthed the words “never, never, never.”

The enactment offered a glimpse into however Trump has transformed Oval Office meetings from little and bland encounters into precarious affairs that often unit overseas leaders to take betwixt placating oregon confronting the American president. His attack tin beryllium thrilling for supporters and destabilizing for diplomats accustomed to a much deliberative attack to planetary relations.

“There is nary look for dealing with this,” said Daniel Mulhall, who was Ireland’s ambassador to the U.S. during Trump’s archetypal term. He described the president's unpredictable behaviour arsenic a “risk factor” and “an bonzer departure from the norm."

It appears that Carney struck the close balance, astatine slightest successful Trump's mind. As the gathering ended, the president said, “I similar this guy."

Carney grinned.

Trump has rewritten the rules

An invitation to the Oval Office has agelong been the tallness of planetary prestige, but the meetings were seldom dramatic. Journalists were ushered into the country to instrumentality pictures and, if they were lucky, inquire a mates of questions portion leaders made perfunctory remarks.

Now, they're raucous episodes successful a overseas argumentation world show, starring Trump. While the president tin beryllium a gracious host, helium openly complains astir visitors' countries — their commercialized policies, their deficiency of defence spending, their perceived ingratitude. He's besides consenting to instrumentality question upon question connected a scope of topics from reporters, turning guests into soundless spectators.

Sixteen overseas leaders person visited the White House since Trump returned to office, outpacing Barack Obama and Joe Biden astatine akin points successful their presidencies.

"Thanks to this president’s committedness to transparency and accessibility, Americans tin ticker his overseas argumentation docket play retired successful existent clip — presenting an accidental for some overseas leaders and the president to convey their connection to the American people," said a connection from Anna Kelly, a White House lawman property secretary.

The meetings sometimes go endurance tests. On Tuesday, Carney listened to Trump knock California's delayed high-speed obstruction project, boast astir upgrading the Oval Office with “great emotion and 24-karat gold” and marque a astonishment announcement that the U.S. would halt bombing the Houthis successful Yemen.

Trump besides went connected an extended tangent astir Obama's plans for his statesmanlike room successful Chicago, claiming that determination are delays due to the fact that his predecessor “only wants woke radical to physique it.”

“He wanted to beryllium precise politically correct, and helium didn’t usage good, hard, tough, mean operation workers," Trump claimed.

As clip dragged on, Carney’s lips tightened, his rima twitched and his eyes darted astir the room. He kept his hands clasped successful beforehand of him, but for mostly futile gestures arsenic helium tried to get a connection in.

El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele was much astatine easiness during his ain gathering with Trump. He grinned arsenic Trump bragged astir getting “the highest mark” connected his latest cognitive test, criticized a reporter’s “low ratings” and declared himself “very flexible” connected tariffs.

Elise Labott, a longtime writer who is present a chap astatine the Council connected Foreign Relations, dismissed the White House's characterization of the encounters arsenic grounds of the president being transparent.

“It’s conscionable different portion of the show," she said. Oval Office meetings, she added, person been "hijacked for portion of the circus.”

Foreign leaders usage pivots and deflection

Foreign leaders often locomotion a cautious enactment to debar publically confronting Trump, and they often trust connected speedy pivots erstwhile hard subjects arise.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte was successful the Oval Office portion Trump talked astir annexing Greenland — which is the territory of Denmark, different NATO ally.

Rutte said, “I don’t privation to resistance NATO successful that" and rapidly shifted to an country of agreement. When it comes to the contented of information successful the Arctic, Rutte told Trump, “you are wholly right.”

Jordanian King Abdullah II squirmed done a gathering wherever Trump explained his thought for the United States to instrumentality implicit Gaza and expel Palestinians from their homes. It's among the astir delicate issues for Abdullah, whose state is location to much than 2 cardinal Palestinian refugees, and helium sidestepped questions astir Trump's proposal. It wasn't until aft the gathering that helium posted astir his absorption to Trump's thought connected societal media.

French President Emmanuel Macron was the uncommon person to close Trump without facing a backlash. When the U.S. person claimed that Europe was lending Ukraine wealth — alternatively of donating it outright — Macron mildly placed his near manus connected Trump’s close forearm to interject.

Trump rolled with it. “If you judge that, it’s OK with me," helium told reporters.

No gathering has gone arsenic poorly arsenic Trump’s sit-down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy successful February. After a heated speech implicit the champion mode to extremity the warfare with Russia, Trump told him, “It's going to beryllium precise hard to bash concern similar this.”

“You person to beryllium thankful," Trump told Zelenskyy. "You don't person the cards.”

As journalists near the room, Trump added, “This is going to beryllium large television.”

Trump keeps leaders connected their toes

Rufus Gifford, erstwhile main of protocol for Biden, said Trump was palmy astatine small much than getting attraction for himself.

“Donald Trump has an quality to person eyeballs connected him. That is, without a doubt, impressive," helium said. "But conscionable due to the fact that he’s capable to get radical to ticker him doesn’t mean the strategy is astute oregon bully for the United States of America.”

Max Bergmann, a erstwhile State Department authoritative present astatine the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the meetings are "always going to beryllium truly challenging due to the fact that the president tin beryllium volatile.”

“It volition springiness a batch of diplomats astir the satellite intermission astir whether they privation to docket a meeting," helium said.

But a gathering with Trump is simply a hard happening to avoid, particularly for American allies.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer prepped intensively for his archetypal brushwood with Trump, knowing that the president prizes idiosyncratic relationships and it’s hard to retrieve if helium dislikes you.

Starmer handed the president a written invitation from King Charles III for a authorities sojourn and praised him for returning a bust of Winston Churchill to the Oval Office. He besides thanked Trump for changing the speech connected Ukraine — adjacent though helium did that by siding much with Russia than European allies want.

Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin came retired mostly unscathed by taking a roll-with-the-punches attack — not contradicting Trump erstwhile helium claimed Ireland “took” U.S. companies done “improper taxation” — portion engaging the president implicit boxing and golf.

“Every person has to person their ain strategy," Mulhall said.

__

Associated Press writer Jill Lawless successful London contributed to this report.