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To further complicate matters, Trump has not outlined any clear demands of what it would take to end the trade war or talk of Canada becoming the 鈥�51st聽state.鈥� Indeed, he has recently refused to rule out a military invasion, describing the border as a mere 鈥渁rtificial line鈥� drawn 鈥渕any years ago.鈥� So, Carney is entering this meeting without any indication of what a potential deal might look like.

But above all, Carney鈥檚 position is difficult because he is dealing with an erratic and spiteful authoritarian who is now emboldened after reclaiming office. And while previous relationships between presidents and prime ministers have been marked by personalities, this one is quite different than anything that has come before.

The most recent friendly relationship between the two offices was the alleged 鈥渂romance鈥� between Barack Obama and Justin Trudeau. The two bonded over their (supposed) progressive ideologies, but also seemed to genuinely get along 鈥� ribbing each other over sports and the other鈥檚 good looks.

The friendship extended to real politics, too. In 2016, Obama hosted Trudeau at a White House State Dinner, the first time a sitting prime minister had received such an invitation in almost 20 years. Obama also endorsed Trudeau for re-election in both 2019 and 2021. The press delighted in their friendship, fawning over the 鈥渕an date鈥� the two had in Montreal even after Obama had left office.

The most famously close pair, though, were the conservatives Brian Mulroney and Ronald Reagan whose tight ties culminated in the 1988 Free Trade Agreement between the two countries.

Mulroney and Reagan worked closely together throughout the 1980s, forging several bilateral agreements, redefining the image of North American conservatism, and even navigating disagreements, including Mulroney鈥檚 lack of support for the U.S.鈥檚 Strategic Defense Initiative that helped end the Cold War.

Of course, there have been antagonistic relationships, too. After Lester B. Pearson criticized the American bombing of Vietnam in a speech at Temple University, Lyndon Johnson called Pearson to a meeting where he allegedly picked up the prime minister by his jacket鈥檚 lapels, shook him, and said, 鈥淒on鈥檛 you come into my living room and piss on my rug.鈥�

Richard Nixon and Pierre Trudeau also famously did not get along. When the Nixon tapes came to light and the president was heard referring to Trudeau as 鈥渁n a 鈥� hole鈥� and 鈥渟on of a bitch,鈥� the prime minister quipped that he had been 鈥渃alled worse things by better people.鈥�

Still, relations between the two countries remained strong. Indeed, the roller-coaster of president/prime minister relationships has never truly shaken the fundamental friendliness between Canada and the United States. Peaceful affairs have always been taken as a given. Until now.

In this meeting and throughout his leadership, Carney will be forced to chart a different course than his predecessors 鈥� one in which the terrain is harsher and less predictable, and the consequences far more severe. If he succeeds, he will surely go down in the annals of the greatest politicians in our history.

It is, undoubtedly, a time for Canadian heroes. But as German playwright Bertolt Brecht told us, 鈥淯nhappy the land that needs heroes.”