New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney slammed Marco Rubio as “crazy” in his debut as Justin Trudeau’s replacement.
Carney, while taking questions after being sworn into office, fired back at the American secretary of state cosigning President Donald Trump’s “51st state” chatter.
At a media event in Quebec for the G7 Summit, Rubio was pressed about his boss’s oft-repeated proposition that Canada join the United States. The idea was initially thought to be a joke, but Trump has doubled and tripled down on it.
“The president has made his argument as to why he thinks Canada would be better off joining the United States, for economic reasons,” Rubio told reporters on Friday.
Hours later, Carney kept his rejoinder simple: “It’s crazy. His point is crazy. That’s it.” The new Liberal Party leader smirked as those present broke into laughter.
At a different point, Carney said, “We will never, ever, in any way, shape or form, be part of the United States. America is not Canada.”
Carney—a former Bank of England boss with no real political experience—handily won his party’s election earlier this month. He takes over from Trudeau, who announced his intention to resign in January, amid faltering confidence in his leadership.
Since entering his office in January, Trump has been waging a trade war with Canada—one of America’s closest allies, both geographically and otherwise. Meanwhile, the American stock market has taken a nosedive.
Carney also took aim at Trump’s tariffs on Friday, saying that one of his top priorities in the new role is “protecting Canadian workers and their families in the face of unjustified foreign trade actions.”
Politicians on both sides of the aisle in Canada, including Trudeau, have disavowed Trump’s suggestion that the northern giant become an American state—even as Trump has said it would bring an end to the tariffs.
Even the leader of Canada’s Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre—who, as an outspoken right-wing populist, is widely regarded as the country’s counterpart to Trump—was angered by the suggestion.
“Canada will never be the 51st state,” he wrote on X back in January. “Period. We are a great and independent country.”
Rubio was Trump’s least controversial Cabinet pick. He was unanimously confirmed by the Senate—an indication of the respect the former senator commanded for his expertise in foreign affairs.
However, the secretary of state has yet to publicly challenge his boss’s at-times confounding approach to international relations, such as the proposal to annex Canada.
Trudeau officially stepped down on Friday after 12 years as his party’s leader and 10 as prime minister.
“Thank you, Canada,” he wrote in a farewell post on X, “for trusting in me, for challenging me, and for granting me the privilege to serve the best country, and the best people, on earth.”
