Here are some of the key takeaways.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had their first official in-person meeting on May 6 at the White House.
Here are some of the key takeaways.
Trump Praises Carney as ‘Talented,’ Carney Calls Trump a ‘Transformational President’
There was much to lose for Carney going into a public meeting with Trump in the Oval Office, but save for Trump’s ongoing 51st state comments, there wasn’t much drama.
On the contrary, Trump heaped praise on Carney and signalled that the relationship would be much smoother than under Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau.
Carney had campaigned heavily on Trump’s tariffs and 51st state comments, saying Canada faces the “biggest crisis of our lifetimes,” but he steered clear of pointed criticism during the meeting.
“I think Canada chose a very talented person, a very good person,” Trump said at the beginning of the meeting at the White House on May 6, congratulating Carney on his election victory.
Trump went further by saying that the Liberals’ win, after “losing by a lot” in the polls, was “probably one of the greatest comebacks in the history of politics, maybe even greater than mine.”
The praise was not entirely unexpected, given how Trump had called Carney a “very nice gentleman” after their first call in late March. Days before their call and the start of the election campaign, Trump said he preferred dealing with a Liberal prime minister over a Conservative one. This was despite saying that former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his “people” were “nasty” to deal with.
Trump made his feelings toward Trudeau known again as Carney was sitting by his side. The prime minister was accompanied in the meeting by senior ministers under Trudeau, such as Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, International Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc, and Public Safety Minister David McGuinty.
“I won’t say this about Mark, but I didn’t like his predecessor,” Trump said in reference to Trudeau, whom he started to refer to as “Governor” of Canada after meeting with him in Florida in late November 2024.
By Noé Chartier
