Mark Carney has survived his first meeting with Donald Trump, by the skin of his teeth. The central banker-turned-prime minister of Canada had a private meeting followed by a press conference earlier today with Trump, who, now in his second (third? honorary lifetime?) term as president, continues to run the country like a hostile real estate takeover.
Carney — whose successful campaign focused on how to repudiate Trump — is no Trudeau. Where Justin spent his time shirtless paddleboarding and crying on camera in three official languages, Carney is all buttoned-up pragmatism. He spent years keeping global markets from spontaneously combusting. He speaks in footnotes and forecasts. He looks like the guy who'd quietly dominate a high-stakes poker game at Davos while explaining bond yields to a confused hedge fund intern.
