In a high-profile meeting at the White House on Tuesday, May 6, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met with US President Donald Trump for the first time since taking office. The meeting sparked a wave of memes and online reactions.
Both the leaders spoke of topics ranging from Canada being the 51st state to Trump’s Tariff. “Canada is not for sale,” Carney reportedly told Trump during their Oval Office discussion, making it clear that while friendly ties are welcome, political union is off the table. Trump, meanwhile, attempted to strike a lighter tone, saying, “I just want to be friends with Canada,” and praising Carney’s election win as “one of the greatest political comebacks of all time.”
“Wow, you flip-flop fast!”
Following the meeting, Carney posted on X: “Thank you to President Trump for inviting me to the White House. Our meeting today marks the beginning of a new relationship between Canada and the United States — based on respect, built on common interests, and to the transformational benefit of both our nations.”
The post, however, drew criticism and sparked meme online. Social media users were quick to point out what they saw as a contradiction, referencing Carney’s earlier remarks dismissing the U.S.-Canada relationship after Trump threatened tariffs. “The old relationship we had with the United States… is over,” he had previously said.
One user commented, “Wow, you flip-flop fast!” while another added, “I will stand up to Trump. Pierre Poilievre will kneel before him – You, less than a month ago.” A third quipped, “Is the relationship over or a new beginning? I just don’t know where to put my elbows.”
Memes also poured in, poking fun at Carney’s political balancing act, with one viral post reading, “So… elbows up or thumbs up?”
