Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s much-hyped White House meeting with President Donald Trump fizzled into what critics are calling a humiliating retreat. After campaigning on bold promises to confront Trump, Carney instead praised him as a “transformational president” and appeared to concede ground on key trade and policy issues.
The Liberal Party leader, installed after Justin Trudeau’s resignation, ran on a platform portraying himself as a fierce opponent of Trump’s “America First” policies. But during Tuesday’s visit, Carney largely avoided confrontation, instead seeking common ground and tolerating Trump’s jabs, including a veiled insult referencing Carney’s political rise: “I watched him come up through the ranks when he wasn’t given much of a chance.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford welcomed the meeting, suggesting that Carney’s softer approach could reset strained U.S.-Canadian relations. “It’s very obvious that President Trump likes Prime Minister Carney a lot more than he liked prime minister Trudeau,” Ford said, calling it a productive first step.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, however, offered a more skeptical view. She said Carney may have avoided outright humiliation but failed to project the strength expected from a leader confronting Trump. Smith also reignited talk of Alberta secession, stating she will move forward with a referendum if public support continues to grow, though she reaffirmed her personal opposition to leaving Canada.
The Globe and Mail noted that Carney’s meeting delivered no progress on ending Trump’s trade war or easing tariffs on Canadian goods. Trump reiterated his goal to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. and dismissed Carney’s concerns about annexation with a blunt “Never say never.”
The National Post reported that Carney sat quietly while Trump dominated the conversation, including a lengthy monologue attacking Canadian politicians like Chrystia Freeland. Body language analysts concluded Carney was “outmatched,” offering no resistance to Trump’s dominance and retreating from his fiery campaign persona.
Columnist Michael Higgins was especially scathing, calling Carney’s performance “a bombastic sham.” He accused the prime minister of fearmongering during the campaign while lacking the courage to back it up when it mattered. Higgins concluded, “Trump is now friends with Carney. Carney is friends with Trump. And Canada is screwed.”
