Donald Trump is used to throwing a tantrum or spewing disparaging remarks when things don’t go his way.
On Tuesday, Oct. 7, he abruptly ended his second White House meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in the Oval Office, leaving viewers shocked at the blatant way he signals he’s done. Some noted he also fails to acknowledge when he’s being laughed at, making the moment even more awkward for those present.
During their meeting, the Republican businessman praised Carney for being “a great prime minister” who could “represent me anytime.” Trump described Carney as “a nice man, but he can be nasty.”
According to him, his ally is a “man that knows what he wants… He’s a tough negotiator.” Carney then referred to the controversial MAGA leader as a “transformative president” whose defense spending is worthy of praise.
👏BEST line of the day, goes to President Trump.
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) October 7, 2025
Reporter: "What’s holding things up? If [Carney] is a great man, & you want a deal with Canada, why don't you?"
POTUS: "Because I want to be a great man too."
President Trump is AMERICA FIRST! pic.twitter.com/D9YScjmQsu
Yet, when a reporter asked, “What’s holding things up? If he’s a great man and you wanna do a deal with Canada, why aren’t you?”
Trump strayed from commenting on their discussions. He matter-of-factly stated, “Because I wanna be a great man, too.” The room erupted into laughter from reporters, and the president seemed to abruptly use his hand to signal the end of the meeting with a “thank you.”
His lack of a sensible response fueled backlash online. “Classic Trump — turns every policy question into a stand-up routine about himself,” wrote one Threads user.
Trump: The Democrats are causing a loss of a lot of jobs. I hope everybody likes the presidential walk of fame. Have you seen it? It's beautiful isn't it? pic.twitter.com/11YcvW0iI9
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 5, 2025
A second reaction read, “They were laughing at him, he’s never been and never will be a ‘great man’.”
“It’s funny because he’s got a snowball’s chance in hell. They’re laughing at him and he doesn’t even realize it,” said a third person.
Some people are convinced Trump has “lost it again” due to his response, whereas others believe he simply didn’t know what he was responding to.
A person remarked, “He really doesn’t understand the questions anymore.”
Another asked, What the heck does Trump’s answer even mean? (Unfortunately), it did deserve laughs.”
While a third person pointed out, “even he didn’t know what he said.”
Trump was asked another tough question about his remarks, declaring that federal workers shouldn’t receive back pay amid the layoffs and terminations.
“Well, you’re going to have to figure that out, OK. Ask the Democrats that question,” he told reporters in the room.
Days earlier, during an Oct. 1 White House press conference, Trump dodged more questions about the layoffs. While blaming Democrats for the lapse in federal funding, he boasted about his Presidential Walk of Fame. The blunder reaffirmed critics’ belief that his cognitive health is on the decline.
