Carney still in the Media Protection Program

This is a blasé admission that Canadian media is in the bag for Carney... and US Democrats

"Johnson, an American citizen, has worked closely with Carney since his Liberal leadership election campaign in early 2025. This marks another unusual precedent of a foreign national serving in a senior political role in this country’s highest political office. In the past, Johnson worked at Bloomberg, and has also worked on Democratic Party campaigns in the U.S., including Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Current and former senior Liberals interviewed for this article said that Carney appears to have gone with a hybrid model of structuring his office by introducing positions such as chief operating officer and chief economist. They said this is the reflection of his background in the private sector.

Several senior Liberals view Johnson as a rising star. She is said to have played a key role in the recent staffing changes and is already “making her mark by streamlining processes” within the PMO. Sources describe her as highly confident, someone who enjoys Carney’s complete trust, and who is well-respected by her colleagues. She’s also said to be very close to Diana Carney.

Carney still in the Media Protection Program. Imagine if Harper had promoted a US Republican strategist to run the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada?... pure hysteria

This is a blasé admission that Canadian media is in the bag for Carney... and US Democrats

"Johnson, an… pic.twitter.com/wz7Qb2uLiq

— cbcwatcher (@cbcwatcher)July 27, 2026

At the same time, nearly everyone who follows the PMO points out that Johnson virtually has no digital footprint, which is an extremely unusual trait in the age of social media. Those who have met Johnson describe her as reserved, disciplined, and intensely focused on her work. Since she’s new to Ottawa political circles and is seen as one of the most influential government officials in the Carney government, insiders are watching her very closely. They describe Johnson as someone of few words with new people, but who can be very engaging once she gets to know them, “very intelligent,” “walks fast,” likes to wear sunglasses most of the time, and uses “headphones with wires.”

“From what I understand, they are fully expecting her to organize the office up to Mark Carney’s standards,” said one former senior Liberal. “It’s just a further demonstration of how Carney is not shy about importing constructs that work in the corporate world.”

Johnson did not respond to an interview request from The Hill Times."