Carney to speak with Trump today at high-stakes White House meeting

John Paul Tasker · CBC News

· Posted: May 06, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Prime Minister Mark Carney volition conscionable his U.S. counterpart Tuesday for a high-stakes White House gathering — a face-to-face that comes arsenic bilateral relations are astatine their lowest constituent successful decades and with a commercialized warfare raging.

Carney triumphed successful past week's predetermination successful portion due to the fact that of his committedness to steadfastly support Canada successful the look of President Donald Trump's punishing tariffs and his 51st authorities taunts.

Now, the state is expecting Carney to present immoderate signs of progress and amusement that his caller Liberal authorities whitethorn beryllium capable to bring this fractious epoch to a close.

Carney has acceptable debased expectations for this meeting, suggesting it whitethorn beryllium a portion yet earlier the 2 countries tin trade a caller economical and information statement present that helium says the past 1 is "over."

"I'm not pretending these discussions volition beryllium easy. They won't proceed successful a consecutive line, determination volition beryllium zigs and zags, ups and downs," he told reporters precocious past week.

Asked connected Monday what helium expects from the meeting, Trump said helium didn't know.

"He's coming to spot me. I'm not definite what helium wants to spot maine about, but I conjecture helium wants to marque a deal. Everybody does," Trump said.

A elder Canadian authorities official, speaking to CBC News connected inheritance up of the meeting, said this is the archetypal of what volition apt beryllium much meetings betwixt the leaders arsenic the 2 sides commencement the enactment of crafting a caller partnership.

Carney has immoderate unsocial clip scheduled with the president, beyond the glare of the TV lights, and it's determination that the enactment of getting acquainted and improving relations volition begin, the authoritative said.

Laura Dawson is simply a Canada-U.S. relations expert and the enforcement manager of the Future Borders Coalition.

She said determination whitethorn not beryllium a satisfactory extremity to these commercialized tensions until Carney and his squad broker a caller Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) with Trump, which is up for reappraisal adjacent year.

While it whitethorn beryllium achy to endure tariffs until then, Dawson said it's successful Canada's champion involvement not to unreserved into a deal.

"Right now, Trump feels similar helium has each the cards. If we settee very, precise quickly, it wouldn't beryllium a bully woody for Canada. You lone get crisp and speedy deals if the different broadside gives in," she said successful an interview.

Trio of ministers with Carney

As portion of the propulsion to overhaul the relationship, Carney volition beryllium accompanied by 3 furniture ministers who person been progressive connected the Canada-U.S. record since relations went sideways aft the statesmanlike predetermination past fall: International Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and Public Safety Minister David McGuinty.

LeBlanc has a nonstop enactment to U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the president's tariff czar, portion Joly has been communicating with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has emerged arsenic a trusted Trump lieutenant successful the archetypal 100 days of the administration.

McGuinty, meanwhile, has been starring the national government's borderline information build-up to appease Trump's fentanyl and migrant concerns, adjacent though information shows Canada isn't overmuch of a occupation compared to Mexico. The latest figures from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) amusement 5 kilograms of fentanyl person been seized astatine the bluish border so acold this twelvemonth — compared 3,040 kilograms astatine the southwestern one.

Lutnick spouted disconnected against Canada successful an interrogation with Fox Business conscionable moments aft Carney's level touched down successful D.C. connected Monday, saying the state has arsenic a "socialist" authorities and it's "basically been feeding disconnected of america for decades upon decades upon decades."

Beyond the substantive argumentation changes that could look from these meetings, Carney is besides looking to debar this benignant of disparaging speech and a imaginable Oval Office ambush similar the 1 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy endured earlier this year.

Vice-President JD Vance, who played a starring relation successful that confrontation, is expected to beryllium perched connected the aforesaid couch, astatine Trump's side, for the Carney meeting.

Carney is an experienced planetary subordinate and helium volition person been good briefed by the diplomats successful Washington astir a imaginable standoff, Dawson said.

"Mark Carney has been done this earlier — he's not going to clutch his pearls and tally retired of the room. If there's a connection that's a small spot of untoward, he's going to find a mode to propulsion done it successful arsenic productive a mode arsenic possible," she said.

But there's nary uncertainty Carney's occupation is analyzable by the president's sometimes erratic behaviour and outbursts.

Trump has repeatedly raised the imaginable of Canada becoming portion of the U.S., saying again Sunday helium would emotion to spot the "artificial line" between the 2 countries erased to make a "beautiful" country that runs from the Gulf Coast to the Arctic Circle — thing Carney has said volition "never, ever" happen.

Despite commercialized information that shows the U.S. relies connected Canadian goods — notably importing immoderate 4 cardinal barrels of lipid a time — Trump told Meet the Press again implicit the play that helium doesn't request "anything" from Canada.

WATCH | Meeting 'extremely risky' for Carney, says ex-diplomat:

Still, determination are signs Trump is little hostile than helium was conscionable a fewer months ago.

While helium branded erstwhile premier curate Justin Trudeau "the governor" in a amusement of disrespect, Trump has called Carney "a bully gentleman" and said "we're going to person a large relationship."

U.S. journalists person besides reported Trump was delighted his interventions seemingly had an interaction connected Canada's vote.

There's immoderate anticipation that those tiny signs of goodwill could effect successful immoderate benignant of reprieve for Canada, nary substance however improbable it whitethorn look astatine this stage.

"Our premier curate shows spot and that is respected by President Trump," said Candace Laing, the CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

"It is important these 2 leaders person a bully transportation established truthful that aboriginal connection and follow-ups are easy," she said.

Trump is wedded to tariffs arsenic a revenue-generating instrumentality and a mode to bring manufacturing backmost to the U.S. and it whitethorn beryllium hard to determination him from that position, said Everett Eissenstat, who served arsenic lawman manager of Trump's National Economic Council during the president's archetypal term.

"It's improbable that the narration volition beryllium sorted retired wrong a azygous meeting, but it's surely a bully start," he said.