Carney says he studied risk of U.S.-led military action in New York Times interview

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney says he studied the possibility of U.S.-led military action in Canada.

In a lengthy New York Times interview published Wednesday, Carney declined to discuss in detail what that examination involved, but he suggested it would be irresponsible not to prepare for what he called “extreme tail risk.”

“I think you have a responsibility in these roles to look at extreme tail risk,” Carney told the Times. “That’s just risk management. That’s not a base case, but it would be irresponsible not to (prepare).”

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly mused about turning Canada into the 51st state and while he ruled out using military force to annex Canada in January 2025, he has said he would consider using “economic force” to get Canada to become part of the United States.

Carney also spoke in the interview about Canada’s plans to reduce its reliance on Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service.

He also discussed Canada considering alternatives to buying American F-35 fighter jets.

Canada’s plan to procure a full fleet of F-35 stealth fighters remains under a political review by Carney’s government. The review was launched more than a year ago in response to the trade war started by Trump.

The trade war between Canada and the United States has been escalating after efforts to reach a trade deal failed in mid-August.

The day after talks broke down, Trump imposed 50 per cent duties on $28 billion in Canadian goods, while Canada implemented retaliatory tariffs in early September.

The president also signed an order to identify and remove products of Canadian origin from U.S. government procurement systems.

The New York Times report said Carney disclosed that he and Trump speak “frequently” even after trade talks collapsed, something the prime minister has said multiple times in recent weeks.

At a news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this month, Carney said he speaks to Trump regularly and that they can “compartmentalize.” He added that part of their responsibility is to work together to resolve global issues like the war in Ukraine.

Earlier Wednesday, the president claimed on social media that Canada is “destroying itself” by allowing millions of people into the country “essentially unchecked and unvetted.”

Trump provided no evidence for these claims but called it a “Liberal takeover that will end very badly.”

Carney and Trump did not meet when they both attended the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly this week. It was Carney’s first trip to the United States since trade negotiations fell apart last month.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2026.

The Canadian Press