Mark Carney claims election victory, vows Canada will resist U.S. pressure

Mark Carney, Canada’s Prime Minister, firmly declared that his country would “never” submit to the United States as he celebrated a federal election win early Tuesday.

His campaign was heavily shaped by ongoing provocations and steep tariffs introduced by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The leader of the Liberal Party delivered a forceful rebuke to Trump during his victory speech, pledging to serve all Canadians and stressing national unity.

“For months I’ve been warning that America covets our land, our resources, and our nation itself. These are not empty threats. President Trump seeks to break us to claim us,” Carney said. “That will never, ever happen.”

Carney repeated his campaign trail warnings, highlighting the fundamentally altered relationship between Ottawa and Washington.

“We have moved past the initial shock of America’s betrayal, but the lessons must stay with us. We must prioritize our own interests and, most importantly, support one another,” he stated.

While Canadians handed the Liberals a fourth consecutive term in power, it remains unclear whether Carney secured an outright majority or will need coalition partners to govern.

A total of 172 seats are required for a parliamentary majority. According to CNN affiliate CTV, a minority government is likely, while CBC indicated it was too soon to make a definitive call.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre conceded defeat early Tuesday, acknowledging that Carney had won enough seats to form a “razor-thin minority government.”

Carney, 60, a former central banker, has been a leading voice against Trump’s rhetoric since he took over the Liberal Party following Justin Trudeau’s resignation last month.

He centred his campaign around resisting American pressure, especially Trump’s threats to annexe Canada as the “51st state.”

Poilievre had initially been seen as the frontrunner after Trudeau’s departure, given public discontent over inflation, soaring living costs, and unrest within Trudeau’s cabinet.

However, Trump’s aggressive tariffs and sovereignty threats reshaped the election, turning it into a de facto referendum on resisting U.S. interference.

Poilievre promised that the Conservatives would collaborate with Carney and other parties to safeguard Canada’s sovereignty.

“We will always prioritize Canada’s interests as we confront tariffs and reckless threats from President Trump,” Poilievre said.

Despite never having previously held political office, Carney’s decades of experience in finance—guiding governments through global economic upheavals and leading Canada through the 2008 financial crisis—bolstered his credentials.

As a former governor of the Bank of England, he also played a key role during Brexit, which he has cited as a cautionary example for America’s current trajectory under Trump’s policies.

Carney consistently framed his candidacy around the idea that Canada must chart its own course independent of U.S. influence.

Throughout the campaign, he portrayed himself as a steady centrist professional capable of navigating Canada through turbulent times.