Leaked audio from a Southampton, New York fundraiser caught JD Vance ridiculing Mark Carney’s tough talk and saying Canada had “climb[ed] down on a lot of issues” in the trade talks.
The recording surfaced in the final stretch of negotiations over Donald Trump’s threatened 50% tariffs, a dispute the White House has tied partly to Canadian restrictions on US alcohol sales.
Canadian officials say a deal is close and could restore US alcohol sales across Canada in exchange for avoiding the harshest tariffs; Trump already delayed his Aug. 19 deadline by three days.
The alcohol fight has become a key pressure point: the White House says Canadian imports of US alcohol are down about 81% year on year, after bans spread across eight provinces and all three territories.
The leak could further strain talks as provincial leaders confirm Carney asked them to put US alcohol back on shelves, even while some urge Canadians to keep boycotting American products.