The historic meeting took place in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C. Tensions were exacerbated due to an existing trade war that President Trump had started.
On Monday, May 5, 2025, he had just gotten on a government passenger plane. He finally made his way to the West Wing of the White House. As he stepped off the plane, U.S. Acting Chief of Protocol Abby Jones welcomed him with open arms. U.S. Col Randall J. Heusser stood alongside her welcoming him to the United States. One Canadian military member scrambled to ensure the Canadian flag was properly displayed for Carney’s arrival. Even this modest gesture highlighted the pageantry of the event.
Traveling with Carney was Canada’s Ambassador to the U.S., Kirsten Hillman. Her tireless efforts in creating a space for diplomatic relations made all the difference in this historic meeting. The excitement about this event only deepened as news stories broke confirming Carney’s visit, and then revealing that talks would follow with Trump himself about U.S.-Canada relations.
Over the course of their several-hour long meeting, Carney recounted, he and Trump primarily focused on what should be the pertinent issues affecting the two countries. Both leaders voiced mutual aspirations to diffuse trade tensions and seek a route to bolster bilateral relations. Local Canadian news media, including CityNews Toronto, tracked the talks every step of the way. This speaks to the meeting’s significance, even outside of the context of North American diplomacy.
Photographers Adrian Wyld and Jim Watson snapped pictures of this colorful momentous occasion, engaging the two leaders. Their photographs will help us create a visual narrative from this groundbreaking meeting for attendees and those that follow.
