PM Carney was advised to push back on Trump if provoked in April call, memo shows

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney was counselled to push back during an April call with Donald Trump if the U.S. president revived his complaints about border security, fentanyl from Canada or low defence spending, a newly released memo shows.

Federal officials prepared the internal memo to guide Carney’s conversation with Trump following the Liberal party’s April 28 election victory.

A concise Canadian summary of the April 29 call, released that day, says Trump congratulated Carney and that the leaders agreed on the importance of working together — as independent, sovereign nations — for their mutual betterment.

“To that end, the leaders agreed to meet in person in the near future,” reads Canada’s official readout from the meeting.

The memo drafted for Carney, obtained by The Canadian Press through the Access to Information Act, suggested the prime minister remind Trump that the two countries had agreed to negotiate a new economic and security partnership after the election.

Carney was advised to tell Trump he wanted to move ahead with those discussions before the June G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alta.

“Canada has shown itself to be a good faith partner and I hope we can take the opportunity to discuss our mutual trade relationship,” the memo said.

Officials also suggested Carney ask Trump about his “main objectives” for a new agreement with Canada, and express confidence the “first phase of our discussions will yield mutually advantageous outcomes.”

The envisioned Canada-U.S. deal has yet to materialize, and recent talks aimed at removing American tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum have not borne fruit.

Trump halted trade talks with Canada completely earlier in October, lashing out over an anti-tariff ad taken out in U.S. markets by the Ontario government.

The memo for the April call included talking points for Carney should Trump pursue discussion of the G7 meeting or raise the war in Ukraine.

It also armed the prime minister with some pointed replies if the president revisited grievances about Canada.

Following Trump’s November 2024 election win, the White House expressed concern about the southbound flow of fentanyl and irregular migrants into the United States — criticism it used to justify tariffs against Canada.

Trump also called on North Atlantic Treaty Organization members, including Canada, to dramatically increase defence spending.

The U.S. president had repeatedly spoken of his desire to make Canada the 51st state and needled Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau, by calling him governor.

The memo suggested Carney tell Trump during the April call that both Canada and the U.S. benefit from a strong and secure border — with pressures going both ways.

“Drugs, guns and migrants flowing north present serious problems for Canada,” Carney was counselled to say.

“We have been taking major steps to secure the border and want to continue to do that. This is an area where we can easily demonstrate a win-win and announce the lifting of tariffs.”

On fentanyl, the prime minister was advised to plainly state Canada “is not the source” of the deadly opioid in the United States.

“We have acted aggressively to shut down even the trace amounts that were crossing the border,” the memo says.

It adds that Canada was addressing its own fentanyl challenge, including precursor chemicals coming from China and other countries.

“Canada and the U.S. can work together and fight organized crime and shut down the fentanyl trade.”

Carney was advised, should Trump raise defence spending, to express agreement with the idea of NATO allies increasing defence spending and sharing the military burden.

It was also suggested the prime minister agree that Canada must accelerate its timeline to reach annual defence spending of two per cent of gross domestic product and add that “I am working to accelerate this further.”

Less than two months later, Carney announced Canada would achieve the two per cent target this year and further bolster spending in years to come.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 2, 2025.

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press