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It’s common for heads of government and state to exchange gifts when they meet, but Prime Minister Mark Carney says an offering from U.S. President Donald Trump last year came with a curious caveat.
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“‘I want to give you something very special, so special, Mark, so special,” Carney recounted of his May 6, 2025 meeting with Trump at the White House, mimicking Trump’s speaking style and a signature open-palmed hand gesture to the delight of some members of the Canada Investment Summit audience in Toronto Tuesday.
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Carney told moderator Deborah K. Orida, CEO of Public Sector Pension Investments, that Trump presented him with a box containing a “big gold key.”
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“And I was like, ‘Wow, Mr. President, this is fantastic.’ He said, ‘Yeah, it’s a key to the White House. You just bring it, they’ll let you in,’” he recounted, still making the hand gestures but dropping the speaking inflections.
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“And then he says, ‘maybe they’ll shoot you.’”
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As the audience and Orida burst into laughter, Carney added: “And that sort of sums up the relationship that we have.”
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“That’s kind of Canada and the U.S. It’s like in Canada, you get the key, you’re in, and the U.S., they might shoot you. No, I’m just kidding.”
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The subject of keys arose when Orida asked him a personal question about the two ceremonial keys he mentioned having during their conversation the night before.
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The first, he said, was a key to his hometown, Fort Smith in the Northwest Territories, presented to him when he became Governor of the Bank of Canada.
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“Now, they don’t lock their doors in Fort Smith, so I’m not sure the advantage of it, but it’s very nice and it sits very proudly and it was an emotional moment,” he said.
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The White House key from Trump, too, was “very nice,” according to Carney.
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“Donald, if you’re listening,” he said, glancing to the camera, “I am very grateful. It’s a very good gesture. He’s a very good host.”
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But he reiterated that if someone’s given a key to Canada, they won’t be shot.
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“We’re going to welcome you,” Carney finished.
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As reported by National Post at the time, Carney’s meeting in the Oval Office swung between praise and discussions about whether Canada would ever become the 51st state.
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When Carney made it clear Canada, like Buckingham Palace or the White House, ‘won’t be for sale, ever,” Trump responded: “Time will tell. It’s only time. But I say never say never.”
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