TORONTO — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney urged the United States to move past political posturing and engage in serious trade negotiations as tensions between the two countries intensified. Speaking on Tuesday, Carney criticized the U.S. administration’s recent conduct, including social media attacks and provocative comments, saying such behavior was unproductive and detracted from constructive dialogue.

Carney suggested that trade discussions could resume if Washington adopted a more cooperative stance. He accused the U.S. of pursuing terms in the stalled trade talks that could lead to the gradual dismantling of Canadian industries within their own country. “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, acknowledging that the current tactics were reflective of American democracy but not helpful.

The remarks come amid escalating rhetoric following the collapse of trade negotiations on August 21. In recent weeks, President Donald Trump has mocked Canada on social media and proposed renaming Lake Ontario to “Lake America.” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also cautioned against reciprocal measures from Canada, citing the size disparity between the two economies. “Canada could not go tit for tat with an economy 13 times larger,” he said.

Further inflaming tensions, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared an online post ridiculing the Canadian military, highlighting two female cadets at a training center in British Columbia with the caption “this is real” alongside a Canadian flag. Carney condemned the post as inappropriate for a senior official, calling it “beneath their office.” The Pentagon defended Hegseth’s post, stating, “The X post speaks for itself.”

Bessent responded to Carney's critique in an interview on Fox News, asserting that Carney had been “verbally beat down” by him and Hegseth. When Carney urged the administration to cease “throwing shade” and return to serious negotiations, Bessent countered by recalling Carney’s prior remark that “we were at war,” highlighting deep divisions between the two sides.

Carney’s central concern remains the fate of Canadian industries under the proposed U.S. trade terms, which he said threatened to reduce them to subsidiaries of American companies or ultimately see them phased out domestically. The ongoing public exchanges underscore a challenging path forward for bilateral trade relations between the neighboring countries.