N.B. MP said Trump 'very interested' in talks with Carney during first Oval Office visit

Oliver Pearson · CBC News

· Posted: May 09, 2025 3:57 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

New Brunswick MP Dominic LeBlanc visited the Oval Office for the archetypal clip this week to articulation Prime Minister Mark Carney for a sit-down with President Donald Trump.

The taxable of speech was economics and LeBlanc said Trump was "very respectful and precise interested" erstwhile Carney spoke — even erstwhile the cameras were off.

"That benignant of constructive, cordial, businesslike code continued aft the nationalist information that radical saw successful the Oval Office," said LeBlanc.

This was Carney's archetypal face-to-face meeting with Trump since his caller predetermination win.

Trump was funny successful what the 2 countries could bash unneurotic to "deal with different planetary economical threats, evidently you tin deliberation of China," said LeBlanc.

LeBlanc said Trump shared that helium followed the Canadian predetermination and watched Carney's statement anterior to predetermination day.

Trump was besides funny successful the projects Carney discussed during his campaign.

WATCH | Removing tariffs inactive fig 1 objective, LeBlanc says:

LeBlanc said Trump listened "carefully" erstwhile Carney made his arguments astir wherefore tariffing each different is "not successful the economical involvement of some countries."

The U.S. has imposed alloy and aluminum tariffs of 25 per cent and a 25 per cent tariff connected immoderate cars and car parts.

As well, Canada faces a 25 per cent tariff connected each goods that are not part of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico agreement, with immoderate exceptions.

Progress connected the location front

Canada has responded to the commercialized warfare with the U.S. by trying to fortify its home economy. Even aft a affirmative gathering successful Washington, LeBlanc hopes the involvement to strengthen interprovincial commercialized volition continue.

"I anticipation it doesn't successful immoderate mode diminish the enthusiasm and the tendency of Canadians to … physique 1 genuinely Canadian economy, region these interprovincial commercialized barriers."

LeBlanc said the government's "No. 1 objective" is to region tariffs but that doesn't alteration the reliability of the U.S. arsenic a trading partner.

"The premier curate has said, 'We tin nary longer trust connected the United States to the grade we did arsenic an economical partner.' We request to look astatine different economical partnerships."

For LeBlanc, those caller "partnerships" commencement astatine location successful Canada and past widen to "Europe and different partners."

LeBlanc reiterated the government's pledge that each gross generated from retaliatory tariffs volition beryllium "recycled" to enactment affected businesses and workers.

New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt has been a "first-class partner" portion moving done these plans, according to LeBlanc.

Good 'reset' for relationship

LeBlanc appreciated Trump's demeanour and said the 2 groups had a productive moving luncheon pursuing the Oval Office meeting.

He said the gathering was a bully "reset" connected relations betwixt the 2 countries. Trump publically expressed his displeasure for moving with Justin Trudeau and Chrystia Freeland successful the past.

Most recently, LeBlanc was curate of planetary commercialized nether Carney and has held galore salient furniture positions, including concern curate nether Trudeau.

LeBlanc has been an MP successful the Beauséjour riding — which encompasses Sackville, Shediac and Richibucto — since 2000.

He said helium was "happy to person the opportunity" to articulation Carney connected the trip.

LeBlanc besides joined Canadian MPs Mélanie Joly and David McGuinty connected the couches of the Oval Office, and others took portion successful the backstage lunch.

On the U.S. side, Vice-President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick took part.

LeBlanc said helium heard from Lutnick portion travelling backmost from Washington.

"I spoke to Secretary Lutnick connected Tuesday evening for 20 minutes. So we're continuing, I hope, a process that volition pb to those tariffs being lifted," helium said.