Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney did a ‘Trump’ in Malaysia as he, on camera, confused ‘premier’ and ‘president’ and called Ontario Premier Doug Ford the President — the way Donald Trump confuses the post of Canada’s topmost leader and calls them ‘president’, ‘governor’ etc. Carney flew to Kuala Lumpur to address the ASEAN summit just after Donald Trump dropped the bombshell, ending trade talks with Canada and then raised tariffs on Canadian goods. Trump is angry that Canada is trying to influence Americans that Ronald Reagan, the much-loved Republican president, was against tariffs, as Canada launched an advertisement which was extensively broadcast on US networks. The advertisement was launched by Ontario Premier Doug Ford, a Conservative leader, who is now being accused of sabotaging the US-Canada trade talks. Ford and Carney, despite their political differences, claimed to be on the same page on trade with the US. Ford said the ad would be withdrawn.In Malaysia, Carney unleashed his playful side as he called Premier Ford ‘a good friend’ the same way Trump refers to world leaders. “Did I say good friend Premier Ford?” Mark Carney said with a smile and then went on to refer to Ford as ‘President Ford’, only to correct himself with a defence that he always confuses between Premier and President. ‘God! Sorry, I don’t know why I mix the two up — President and Premier Ford,” he said. Recently, Trump called Carney the President instead of Prime Minister and when Carney corrected Trump, Trump defended that at least he did not call Carney a Governor. Carney’s predecessor Justin Trudeau had to resign earlier this year under growing pressure from the party as he became a laughing stock for Trump who invited Canada to join the US as the 51st state with Trudeau being the Governor.
