Mark Carney Denies Walking Back Davos Comments After Trump Call

Prime Minister Mark Carney has forcefully denied a U.S. claim that he retreated from his recent speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos during a private phone call with President Donald Trump. Carney stated publicly, "To be absolutely clear, and I said this to the president, I meant what I said in Davos," directly contradicting U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Bessent had claimed that Carney "aggressively" walked back his "unfortunate remarks" from the forum.

In his Davos address, Carney argued that the U.S.-led rules-based international order was over and urged "middle powers" like Canada to unite to avoid being dominated by great powers. While not naming the U.S. directly, his remarks were widely interpreted as a critique of American hegemony. The conflicting accounts of the leader-to-leader phone call highlight ongoing diplomatic and political tensions between the two nations, particularly over trade policy and Canada's international partnerships.

Carney emphasised his call with Trump was a positive conversation covering a wide range of topics, including Arctic security, Ukraine, and Canada's trade relationship with China. This public dispute over the private conversation's content has sparked domestic criticism in Canada over transparency and the lack of an official government readout from the call.