TORONTO: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made a light-hearted remark about US President Donald Trump after a teleprompter malfunction interrupted his news conference on housing policy on Wednesday.
When the teleprompter stopped working, Carney smiled and said, “I do not view this as a conspiracy,” drawing laughter from those in attendance.
The comment appeared to reference an incident last year when Trump called for an investigation after encountering a halted escalator and a malfunctioning teleprompter during his address at the United Nations General Assembly.
Addressing the audience, Carney added, “I would like to inform you that the teleprompter has ceased to function. Unlike a certain world leader, I do not view this as a conspiracy,” prompting laughter at the news conference in Toronto.
Neither Carney’s office nor the White House immediately responded to requests for comment.
Relations between Canada and the United States have remained strained since Trump returned to the White House last year. His administration imposed sweeping tariffs on Canada and repeatedly suggested that the country should become the 51st US state.
Carney has consistently opposed Trump’s trade measures and has sought to reduce Canada’s diplomatic and economic reliance on the United States. He has also attracted international attention for declaring that the rules-based global order has come to an end and for criticising major powers for using “economic integration as weapons.”
