On Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney turned a minor technical glitch into a subtle jab at President Donald Trump, referencing Trump's past conspiracy theories about teleprompter failures at the United Nations.

Carney Mocks Teleprompter Slip

During an address to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, Carney paused when the teleprompter briefly stopped working and laughed off the interruption. He then steered his remarks toward humor, drawing on Trump's past reactions to similar issues.

"Happens, it happens," Carney said. He added, "I'm not going to go into the — I'm not going to say who I — you know what, there's a teleprompter joke I could tell about a conspiracy theory, but I think I, it's probably not."

Trump UN Teleprompter Controversy

The comment appeared to reference Trump's 2024 UN General Assembly speech, in which the president criticized the organization after a teleprompter malfunction, an escalator breakdown, and audio problems during his visit to the New York headquarters.

At the time, Trump said, "I don't mind making this speech without a teleprompter, because the teleprompter is not working," reported The Hill. He added, "I feel very happy to be up here with you, nevertheless, and that way you speak more from the heart." Trump later added that the operator of the teleprompter was "in big trouble."

Trump also called for an investigation, alleging "triple sabotage" following the technical issues. He wrote on Truth Social, "A REAL DISGRACE took place at the United Nations yesterday — Not one, not two, but three very sinister events."

Alberta Separatism And Trump Tariff Pressure On Carney

Earlier, separatist groups in Alberta advanced a petition drive to trigger an independence referendum, increasing pressure on Carney amid escalating tensions with the U.S. President Trump also threatened a 100% tariff on Canadian imports, accusing Canada of enabling Chinese access to the U.S. market through a recent trade arrangement with Beijing.

China policy analyst Michael Pillsbury warned that Canada's trade strategy could "backfire," urging stronger alignment with the U.S. and cautioning that Washington could retaliate given Canada's reliance on U.S. exports.