Mark Carney ran for Prime Minister on an “elbows up” promise to take the fight directly to Washington and end Donald Trump’s bruising tariff war. But with just days until the August 1 trade deal deadline — and no deal in sight — Canadians are starting to realize the only thing Carney may have thrown elbows at was the truth.
Despite months of bluster, closed-door briefings, and carefully staged media moments, Carney has delivered zero results. The tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum, lumber, and autos — the same ones he vowed to eliminate “on day one” — are still in place. His tough-talk campaign now looks less like leadership and more like political theatre.
Canadians were promised a fighter. They got a placeholder.
From ‘Elbows Up’ to Shrugged Shoulders
Carney’s entire election campaign was built on swagger: he would outmaneuver Trump, restore Canada’s economic footing, and “bring stability to a world on fire.” The “elbows up” mantra was repeated like gospel at rallies across the country — a symbol of his supposed grit and economic savvy.
Now, as U.S. tariffs choke key sectors and premiers warn of long-term damage, Carney’s message has morphed into defeatist ambiguity. On Tuesday, when asked whether a deal was even likely, his response — “We’ll see” — landed like a punch pulled.
What happened to the elbows?
A Deal Nowhere in Sight
Carney insists he’s “working to get the best deal” and claims over 80 bilateral meetings with world leaders. But name-dropping doesn’t lift tariffs. Exporters aren’t cashing in on coffee chats and photo ops. They’re watching contracts evaporate.
Quebec Premier François Legault summed it up: “You almost need to ask Donald Trump… and I’m not even sure he knows what he wants.”
But Canadians didn’t elect Trump. They elected Carney to navigate Trump’s unpredictability — not to cower behind it.
The Premiers Are Losing Patience
While a few premiers continue to parrot Carney’s talking point about prioritizing a “good deal over a fast one,” cracks in the facade are growing. Ontario’s Doug Ford was blunt: “We can’t rely on the Americans anymore. Simple as that.”
Alberta’s Danielle Smith called for building a Canada-only pipeline — something “we should have done decades ago.” Saskatchewan’s Scott Moe warned Canada is heading toward an energy crisis if it doesn’t cut reliance on U.S. infrastructure now.
This isn’t confidence in federal leadership — it’s provincial damage control.
A Strategic Void
Carney’s fallback plan? A new “federal projects office” and vague pledges to accelerate infrastructure approvals. But none of that offsets the immediate pain of tariffs. None of it replaces lost exports. And none of it delivers on the promise he made to millions of voters: that he would fix the Canada-U.S. trade relationship.
Carney claims the phone is “ringing off the hook” with countries eager to trade with Canada. But the silence from Washington speaks volumes.
And Canadians aren’t fooled anymore.
Carney The Futile?
In 2024, voters bought into a former central banker who promised economic toughness and global clout. What they got was a technocrat out of his depth in a street brawl.
Trump’s tariffs are still in place. The U.S. hasn’t blinked. And Carney? He’s waiting for the phone to ring — or maybe for someone else to throw the next elbow.
The bluff worked once. It may not work again.
TCE