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Defence Minister David McGuinty says all militaries analyze risk scenarios after Prime Minister Mark Carney told the New York Times his government studied the possibility of U.S.-led military action in Canada. Conservative MP Ellis Ross calls Carney's comments irresponsible.
Defence Minister David McGuinty is downplaying Prime Minister Mark Carney's comments that his government has studied the possibility of U.S.-led military action in Canada. McGuinty told reporters in Ottawa that all militaries consider such risks.
Minister Downplays Prime Minister Carney Risk Comments
He said it is normal for militaries around the world to spend time analyzing risk scenarios. Carney made the comments to the New York Times on Wednesday. He said Ottawa has examined the possibility of American military action but would not discuss details of what that examination involved. Carney suggested it would be irresponsible not to prepare for what he called extreme tail risk.
McGuinty said the government would not go into any detail about what such an analysis entails. McGuinty declined to comment on how Canadians should interpret Carney's comments. He said they should take it as described by the prime minister, a tail risk. McGuinty said Canada and the United States have one of the most important military relationships in the world.
He noted the two countries have co-operated for decades to keep North America safe. U.S. President Donald Trump has spent the better part of the last two years repeatedly asserting he wants to make Canada the 51st state. Trump has insisted he would do it through what he called economic coercion rather than military force. In January, the Globe and Mail reported that the Canadian Armed Forces had modelled a hypothetical U.S. military invasion of Canada.
Trump Threatens Annexion With Flag Images
The military described it as a conceptual and theoretical framework rather than an actual plan. That news came as Trump had repeatedly threatened to annex Greenland. In more recent weeks Trump has posted AI-generated images of all of North America covered by the U.S. flag. The images included Canada, Mexico, Greenland, Central America and much of the Caribbean.
In September, Admiral Samuel Paparo, the head of U.S. Pacific Command, was asked about the scenario. A reporter at a news conference in Victoria asked Paparo whether he would ever follow an order from Trump to invade Canada. He quickly dismissed the idea. Paparo said he finds that scenario to be absolutely and utterly preposterous.
Admiral Paparo Dismisses Invasion Scenario As Preposterous
He said he follows the orders of the commander-in-chief but called it a needlessly emotional question. Conservative MP Ellis Ross told reporters Thursday that Carney's comments were irresponsible. He said the comments are stoking fear and division and are uncalled for given what Canadians are going through. Ross said Canadians are faced with affordability, crime and drugs.
He asked what the government is doing, saying let's get Canadians fearing an American invasion. Ross said it was very irresponsible for a leader of a first world country to come out and say that about another first world country.
Experts Debate Responsibility And Economic Cliff
Meanwhile, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Trump is comfortable where we are on Canada. Former Trump communications director Anthony Scaramucci said Carney would be imprudent not to contemplate a U.S. military invasion. Commentator Ham said the U.S. is headed towards an economic cliff amid tariffs and severed trade relations. Analysts have asked what Greer's comments mean for Canada-U.S. trade talks.
Former diplomat John Manley said Canada needs to wait it out while the Trump administration will flail about. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2026.
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CTVToronto:This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Politics Mark Carney David Mcguinty U.S. Military Action Canada-U.S. Relations Donald Trump
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