The Daily Populous Wednesday January 28th, 2026 morning edition
Authored by cbc.ca and submitted by Chewbacca319

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Contrary to comments from U.S. officials, Prime Minister Mark Carney said he told the president he stands by the comments he made in his speech in Davos, Switzerland, about world powers.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is dismissing a claim that he walked back the remarks he made in Davos, Switzerland, last week during a conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday.

"To be absolutely clear, and I said this to the president, I meant what I said in Davos," Carney said Tuesday on his way into a meeting with his cabinet.

Asked directly if he walked his comments back, Carney said "no."

The prime minister said Trump called Carney on Monday and the pair had "a very good conversation" discussing everything from Arctic security to the situation in Ukraine and Venezuela.

WATCH | 'I meant what I said': Carney says he told Trump in call: 'I meant what I said in Davos' | Duration 1:42 Prime Minister Mark Carney says he spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump on a call Monday about everything from Ukraine and Venezuela to Arctic security. Carney says he also outlined what Canada is doing 'positively' to build partnerships around the world, adding that he explained Canada's trade 'arrangement' with China.

Carney said he told the U.S. president that Canada was the first country to recognize the new direction Trump was taking with American trade policy and that Canada was "responding positively" to Trump's moves.

"I explained to him our arrangement with China, I explained to him what we're doing: 12 new deals on four continents in six months — he was impressed — and what we intend to do going forward."

The prime minister said part of that 30-minute conversation focused on the upcoming review of CUSMA and how Canada was prepared to use that review to build new relationships in the U.S.

During an appearance on Fox News' Hannity program on Monday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he was there when Trump spoke with Carney, saying the prime minister used the opportunity to recant what he said during his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week.

"I was in the Oval [Office] with the president today. He spoke to Prime Minister Carney, who was very aggressively walking back some of the unfortunate remarks he made at Davos," Bessent said.

Carney's speech to the world's business and political elite argued that the U.S.-led, rules-based international order is over and that middle powers like Canada need to band together or risk being eaten alive by great powers.

"Great powers can afford to go it alone. They have the market size, the military capacity, the leverage to dictate terms. Middle powers do not. But when we only negotiate bilaterally with a hegemon, we negotiate from weakness. We accept what is offered. We compete with each other to be the most accommodating. This is not sovereignty. It is the performance of sovereignty while accepting subordination," Carney said.

"In a world of great power rivalry, the countries in between have a choice: to compete with each other for favour, or to combine to create a third path with impact."

Without invoking Trump by name, Carney's speech referenced "American hegemony" and said that "great powers" are using economic integration as "weapons."

"Canadians know that our old, comfortable assumption that our geography and alliance memberships automatically conferred prosperity and security is no longer valid," Carney said.

Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong criticized Carney for not issuing an official readout of his 30-minute conversation with Trump.

Readouts are statements issued after a prime minister speaks with a foreign leader that serve as official notice the call took place, while also providing some detail about what was discussed.

"All I know now is that there are two versions of events," Chong said in Ottawa. "The solution to this is for the Prime Minister's Office to put things in writing, as past prime ministers have done … so that everybody understands what took place during that conversation."

Carney has not issued readouts for every conversation he has with Trump, or other leaders, since coming to office. The White House also did not issue a readout of Trump's call with Carney on Monday.

doughflow on January 27th, 2026 at 17:27 UTC »

Did I stutter?! - Mark Carney

CompleteCreme7223 on January 27th, 2026 at 17:24 UTC »

No one expects Trump and his people to be honest so this shouldn't surprise anyone. Mark Carney on the other hand is well known for careful and thoughtful wording on all statements which is why he was the head of the Bank of Canada and Bank of England before being Prime Minister. When it comes to credibility, we are talking about one of the most credible people on the planet verses.... well we all know what the US Administration is now.

I am sure though we will see some new threats from the US Administration soon to try and save face since we all know how well that is working out for them...

Ok-Crow-1515 on January 27th, 2026 at 17:21 UTC »

Bessent is just another Trump ass kissing boot licker, just like all of his cabinet.