Trump denies seeking to restrict use of French in Canada

US President Donald Trump has rejected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s claim that Washington sought to influence the use of French in Canada, calling the allegation false.

“I would never interfere with Canadians speaking French! In fact, I have never even thought of doing such a stupid thing,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Carney had said that US “threats to the French language and Quebec culture” contributed to the collapse of trade negotiations between Washington and Ottawa over tariffs, according to Politico.

Trump dismissed the claim as an attempt by Carney to recover support among voters in Quebec, a predominantly French-speaking province. The US president said Carney’s popularity there had fallen sharply amid the escalating trade dispute.

The dispute intensified last week after the United States imposed 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian imports following the failure of the two sides to reach a trade agreement.

According to CNN, Washington had demanded that Canada scrap mandatory bilingual labelling on goods exported to the United States, arguing that the requirement increases packaging costs. Ottawa regarded the demand as a direct threat to Quebec’s French language and cultural identity.