Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is whining because President Donald Trump and members of his administration have been trolling Canada since the trade deal fell apart a week ago.
Trump renamed Lake Ontario “Lake America,” and members of his administration repeatedly mocked America’s northern neighbor.
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Carney is asking Washington to “stop doing memes, stop throwing shade, and stop trying to be tough” if it wants serious trade negotiations to resume.
The message comes amid a renewed trade war between the United States and Canada, with tariffs and retaliatory measures escalating after negotiations between the two countries broke down.
Trump’s decision to rechristen Lake Ontario as “Lake America” has added another provocative element to the increasingly contentious relationship.
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Asked Tuesday whether he would be prepared to restart trade negotiations with Washington, Carney said the Trump administration would first need to change its approach.
“When the Americans stop doing memes, stop throwing shade, and stop trying to be tough, and start being serious about having those discussions, we can have those discussions,” Carney said.
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“It’s not constructive, but that’s their democracy,” he added.
Trump signed an executive order last week renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America,” continuing his penchant for changing the names of prominent geographic features.
The lake straddles the international boundary between the United States and Canada.
Major American technology companies have subsequently reflected Trump’s new designation for American users.
Google Maps adopted “Lake America” following Trump’s order, while Apple Maps followed by displaying “Lake America” on the American portion of the lake while continuing to display “Lake Ontario” over the Canadian side.
The geographic dispute is only one component of the growing friction between Washington and Ottawa.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has mocked the Canadian military on social media, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that Canada cannot engage in a “tit for tat” economic battle with an American economy approximately 13 times its size.
Trump has also repeatedly suggested that Canada should become America’s 51st state, a suggestion that Carney has strongly rejected.
The escalating war of words comes alongside a much more consequential dispute over trade.
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The Trump administration has increased tariffs on several categories of Canadian goods, including alcohol, clothing and wood products, with additional increases involving steel, automobiles and automobile parts scheduled for January.
Canadian counter-tariffs scheduled to take effect September 8 will impose duties of 15%, 25% and 50% across approximately 700 products.
Those tariffs will affect products ranging from steel and appliances to everyday consumer goods including seafood, cheese, clothing, cosmetics and toilet paper.
Carney has argued that accepting Washington’s proposed trade terms would have threatened major Canadian industries.
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The prime minister claimed the American approach could have effectively transformed Canadian industries into subsidiaries of American companies or created conditions under which they would eventually be “wiped out.”
Mark Carney just told America he’ll only talk trade when we “stop doing memes, stop throwing shade, and stop trying to be tough.”
That’s not a negotiation position. That’s a guy who lost the room and is now bargaining over the group chat.
The memes stay. 🇺🇸😂…
— Louis Montoya (@montoyalouis1) September 1, 2026
Carney has also accused the Trump administration of attempting to restrict Canada’s ability to negotiate trade agreements with other nations.
The Canadian prime minister’s confrontational approach appears to be occurring against a favorable domestic political backdrop.
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Carney’s Liberal Party won three by-elections Monday, increasing its representation in Canada’s House of Commons.
For now, however, there appears to be little indication that either side is ready to back down.
Trump continues pushing an aggressive economic and rhetorical strategy toward Canada, while Carney says serious negotiations can resume when Washington stops the memes, the shade, and the tough talk, Sky News reported.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
