Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was addressing a housing policy press conference in Toronto on Aug. 5 when his teleprompter suddenly malfunctioned. Rather than appearing flustered, Carney smiled and mockingly took a swipe at U.S. President Donald Trump, drawing laughter from the audience.
"I would like to inform you that the teleprompter has ceased to function," Carney said. "Unlike a certain world leader, I do not view this as a conspiracy." The crowd laughed.
The remark immediately drew laughs from the crowd, with Carney clearly referencing Trump's own experience at the United Nations General Assembly last year, when the U.S. president faced an escalator stoppage and teleprompter failure, and subsequently called for an investigation, suggesting some kind of conspiracy was at play.
Since Trump returned to the White House, the United States has imposed sweeping tariffs on Canada and even threatened to make Canada the 51st U.S. state, sparking strong resentment in Ottawa. Carney has repeatedly made it clear that he will firmly push back against U.S. trade policies and is committed to reducing Canada's excessive diplomatic and economic dependence on the United States. Earlier, Carney also declared on the international stage that the "rules-based global order" had come to an end, and criticised major powers for using "economic integration as a weapon" — remarks that have drawn widespread international attention.
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