Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared to be trying to make a point when he posted a photo of two Canadian female cadets in uniform, adding the words “this is real” alongside a Canadian flag.
Instead, he gave Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney an opening to deliver a message of his own: If Washington wants to get back to the negotiating table on trade, it might want to drop the theatrics first.
Carney on Tuesday fired back at the Trump administration as he stood up against a barrage of insults and provocations from President Donald Trump’s cabinet while leaving the door open to restarting stalled trade talks.
His response came as tensions over tariffs, Canadian sovereignty and the future of the bilateral relationship continue to build, with both governments digging in for what could become a prolonged trade fight.
“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. “It’s not constructive, but that’s their democracy.”
The prime minister’s remarks followed the collapse of U.S.-Canada trade negotiations on Aug. 21. Since then, Trump has continued to attack Canada, including an executive order to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America,” while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent argued Canada could not go “tit for tat” with an American economy 13 times larger.
Hegseth then entered the fray Monday by mocking the Canadian military on social media. He posted a photograph of two female cadets at a British Columbia training center with the words “this is real” and a Canadian flag.
Carney called the post “beneath their office.”
The Pentagon did not apologize. Instead, it stood by the post Tuesday, saying, “The X post speaks for itself.”
The exchange is unfolding against a much larger economic dispute. Carney said the terms sought by Washington would have left Canadian industries effectively operating as subsidiaries of American companies or facing conditions under which they could be “gradually wound down in Canada and wiped out.”
“We’re not going to — of course, we’re not going to accept those terms,” Carney said.
Washington also sought what Carney described as an “uncompetitive” arrangement for major industries, including autos, while pushing changes involving French-language and cultural protections. He said any one of those issues could have been enough to prevent an agreement.
Canada has also rejected U.S. demands that would restrict its ability to pursue trade agreements with other countries.
“Canada is a sovereign state. We will strike free trade deals with the countries we wish to strike free trade deals,” Carney said.
Despite the breakdown, Carney said the two sides had been moving toward some “mutually beneficial” portions of a possible agreement.
That leaves the door open to renewed negotiations, even as the rhetoric grows harsher. Carney said Tuesday that the U.S. proposal from August should be viewed as unfinished business rather than a completed agreement.
“There were elements of that mutually beneficial deal that we were moving towards, which is why we were still at the table. But we never viewed that we had that deal, and it diverged towards the end,” Carney said.
David Cohen, the U.S. ambassador to Canada under former President Joe Biden, saw an opening for both sides.
“In my way of looking at it, both sides have opened the crack in the door to get back to the negotiating table,” he said.
But Washington has also signaled that the earlier proposal is gone, including a plan to reduce some metal tariffs from 50 percent to 25 percent. Canadian officials, meanwhile, have drawn a red line around key demands, including keeping a 25 percent tariff on medium- and heavy-duty trucks.
The political stakes are rising on both sides of the border. Canada is scheduled to impose retaliatory tariffs of up to 50 percent on nearly $20 billion in U.S. goods Sept. 8, according to Politico. Trump’s threatened 50 percent tariffs on Canadian autos and auto parts would not take effect until New Year’s Day, leaving both sides some room to negotiate.
Carney also received a political boost Monday when his Liberal Party swept three special elections, bringing the party to 173 seats in the 343-seat House of Commons. The victories strengthened his position as he confronts Trump and campaigns against growing separatist sentiment in Alberta and Quebec.
The trade war could eventually become a problem for Trump as well. Republicans in Congress have expressed concern about its potential impact on the November elections, while Democrats are already making the tariffs a campaign issue.
“They’re very damaging politically,” said Republican strategist Mike Madrid, a vocal Trump critic. “They’re hurting his base vote and the voters that he needs the most.”
Still, the White House is brushing aside those concerns. White House spokesperson Kush Desai said, “Trump was given a resounding Election Day mandate to put American workers, farmers, and businesses first, and the Administration will continue to deliver while lowering costs for everyday families.”
A trade lobbyist familiar with the negotiations said there is still plenty of time for the two countries to find their way back to an agreement.
“Four months is, as you know, like an eternity for this president on tariffs. And so he gave them a lot of runway here to make their way back,” the lobbyist said.
But Canadian patience with Washington’s approach may be wearing thin. Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association President Flavio Volpe predicted more political attacks before negotiations resume.
“The [Trump] administration will need to get its Canada bashing campaign out of its system first,” Volpe said.
And for many Canadians watching the spectacle unfold, the prime minister’s response landed with a mixture of relief and anger.
“Someone has to be the adult in the room. Love our PM Carney,” a commenter said.
“Hesgeth needs to grow the hell up,” another added. “There’s is nothing honourable about anyone in that administration. Mocking our cadets — kids!! Disgusting from an apparent adult.”
One person summed up: “Hegseth is the embodiment of that guy everyone knew in high school. The one who thought he was hot sh-t, but was just an immature bully whose classmates kinda just rolled their eyes behind his back..Hegseth is just a stunted adolescent with a massive ego and an insecurity complex to match. Go Canada.”
Others said they were fed up with the immaturity coming out of Washington.
“About time someone called them out on their obnoxious behavior!! I’m damn sick of this. I’m tired of feeling humiliated for our country under this uneducated sophomoric administration.”
However, Hegseth clearly didn’t take the higher route. On Friday, he reposted a pride celebration post by the Canadian Coast Guard and responded with a Canadian flag emoji, which opened him to a fresh round of criticism.
