Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has sharply criticized Trump administration officials for what he described as "doing memes" and mocking Canada's military amid ongoing trade tensions. Carney urged the officials to "start being serious" about discussions aimed at resolving the trade war between the two nations.
His remarks followed accusations that several cabinet secretaries had belittled Canada's armed forces. Specifically, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted an image on Monday night from a cadet training center in British Columbia, depicting a teenage girl receiving a medal. Hegseth captioned the image with "This is real."
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy, appearing on Fox News Sunday on August 23, dismissed Canada as "a country that doesn't have a military."
When asked about these comments, Carney told reporters that the actions were "beneath their office." The dispute has been further escalated by President Donald Trump, who last week renamed Lake Ontario to "Lake America."
