List of Canadian prime ministers and American presidents
This is a list and timeline of Canadian prime ministers and American presidents. Canada's prime minister serves as the primary minister of the Crown, chair of the Cabinet, and head of government of Canada, while the British monarch serves as head of state under representation from the governor general. The American president is both the head of government and head of state of the United States, chief-executive of the executive branch and the federal government, and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces. The two positions are uniquely tied by geopolitical and cultural similarities, long-lasting and complex relations, economic ties, and the world's longest international land border. Both nations have historically considered each other their closest partner and ally. The longest co-serving prime minister and president were William Lyon Mackenzie King and Franklin D. Roosevelt, who both continuously held power for 9 years, 5 months, and 20 days straight between October 23, 1935 and April 12, 1945. The first pair of concurrently serving prime minister and president was John A. Macdonald and Andrew Johnson, for 1 year, 8 months, and 4 days from July 1, 1867 to March 4, 1869, and the current holders are Mark Carney and Donald Trump, since March 14, 2025.
There has been one pair of father and son that both served as prime minister, being Pierre Trudeau and Justin Trudeau, while two pairs of father and son both served as president, John Adams and John Quincy Adams, and George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush, the latter of which both served post-Canadian Confederation. The Roosevelts share both the longest and second-longest prime minister and president duo, as Theodore Roosevelt also served for 7 years, 5 months, and 18 days alongside Wilfrid Laurier, almost exactly two years fewer than FDR did with Mackenzie King. John A. Macdonald served with a record 7 different presidents (Johnson, Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland, and Harrison), while Grover Cleveland served with 5 different prime ministers (Macdonald, Thompson, Bowell, Tupper, and Laurier).
Three pairs served abreast on two separate occasions. William Lyon Mackenzie King and Calvin Coolidge served concurrently from 1923 to 1926 and again from 1926 to 1929 with Arthur Meighen briefly becoming prime minister between the two stints. Pierre Trudeau and Jimmy Carter served concurrently from 1977 to 1979 and again from 1980 to 1981, due to Joe Clark briefly gaining power from 1979 to 1980. Most recently, Justin Trudeau and Donald Trump served concurrently from 2017 to 2021 and again briefly in 2025, due to Joe Biden gaining power from 2021 to 2025.
Timeline of Canadian prime ministers and American presidents
Canadian Prime Minister |
Party |
American President |
Party |
Start |
End |
Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
John A. Macdonald |
Liberal-Conservative |
Andrew Johnson |
National Union Democratic |
July 1, 1867 |
March 4, 1869 |
612 days |
John A. Macdonald |
Liberal-Conservative |
Ulysses S. Grant |
Republican |
March 4, 1869 |
November 5, 1873 |
1707 days |
Vacant |
Ulysses S. Grant |
Republican |
November 5, 1873 |
November 7, 1873 |
2 days |
|
Alexander Mackenzie |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Ulysses S. Grant |
Republican |
November 7, 1873 |
March 4, 1877 |
1213 days |
Alexander Mackenzie |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Rutherford B. Hayes |
Republican |
March 4, 1877 |
October 8, 1878 |
583 days |
Vacant |
Rutherford B. Hayes |
Republican |
October 8, 1878 |
October 17, 1878 |
9 days |
|
John A. Macdonald |
Conservative |
Rutherford B. Hayes |
Republican |
October 17, 1878 |
March 4, 1881 |
869 days |
John A. Macdonald |
Conservative |
James A. Garfield |
Republican |
March 4, 1881 |
September 19, 1881 |
199 days |
John A. Macdonald |
Conservative |
Chester A. Arthur |
Republican |
September 19, 1881 |
March 4, 1885 |
1262 days |
John A. Macdonald |
Conservative |
Grover Cleveland |
Democratic |
March 4, 1885 |
March 4, 1889 |
1461 days |
John A. Macdonald |
Conservative |
Benjamin Harrison |
Republican |
March 4, 1889 |
June 6, 1891 |
824 days |
Vacant |
Benjamin Harrison |
Republican |
June 6, 1891 |
June 16, 1891 |
10 days |
|
John Abbott |
Conservative |
Benjamin Harrison |
Republican |
June 16, 1891 |
November 24, 1892 |
527 days |
Vacant |
Benjamin Harrison |
Republican |
November 24, 1892 |
December 5, 1892 |
11 days |
|
John Sparrow David Thompson |
Conservative |
Benjamin Harrison |
Republican |
December 5, 1892 |
March 4, 1893 |
89 days |
John Sparrow David Thompson |
Conservative |
Grover Cleveland |
Democratic |
March 4, 1893 |
December 12, 1894 |
648 days |
Vacant |
Grover Cleveland |
Democratic |
December 12, 1894 |
December 21, 1894 |
9 days |
|
Mackenzie Bowell |
Conservative |
Grover Cleveland |
Democratic |
December 21, 1894 |
April 27, 1896 |
493 days |
Vacant |
Grover Cleveland |
Democratic |
April 27, 1896 |
May 1, 1896 |
4 days |
|
Charles Tupper |
Conservative |
Grover Cleveland |
Democratic |
May 1, 1896 |
July 8, 1896 |
68 days |
Vacant |
Grover Cleveland |
Democratic |
July 8, 1896 |
July 11, 1896 |
3 days |
|
Wilfrid Laurier |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Grover Cleveland |
Democratic |
July 11, 1896 |
March 4, 1897 |
236 days |
Wilfrid Laurier |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
William McKinley |
Republican |
March 4, 1897 |
September 14, 1901 |
1654 days |
Wilfrid Laurier |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Theodore Roosevelt |
Republican |
September 14, 1901 |
March 4, 1909 |
2728 days |
Wilfrid Laurier |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
William Howard Taft |
Republican |
March 4, 1909 |
October 6, 1911 |
946 days |
Vacant |
William Howard Taft |
Republican |
October 6, 1911 |
October 10, 1911 |
4 days |
|
Robert Borden |
Conservative |
William Howard Taft |
Republican |
October 10, 1911 |
March 4, 1913 |
511 days |
Robert Borden |
Conservative |
Woodrow Wilson |
Democratic |
March 4, 1913 |
July 10, 1920 |
2685 days |
Arthur Meighen |
Unionist |
Woodrow Wilson |
Democratic |
July 10, 1920 |
March 4, 1921 |
237 days |
Arthur Meighen |
Unionist |
Warren G. Harding |
Republican |
March 4, 1921 |
December 29, 1921 |
300 days |
William Lyon Mackenzie King |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Warren G. Harding |
Republican |
December 29, 1921 |
August 2, 1923 |
581 days |
William Lyon Mackenzie King |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Calvin Coolidge |
Republican |
August 2, 1923 |
June 28, 1926 |
1061 days (first tenure; 1952 days in total) |
Vacant |
Calvin Coolidge |
Republican |
June 28, 1926 |
June 29, 1926 |
1 day |
|
Arthur Meighen |
Conservative |
Calvin Coolidge |
Republican |
June 29, 1926 |
September 25, 1926 |
88 days |
William Lyon Mackenzie King |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Calvin Coolidge |
Republican |
September 25, 1926 |
March 4, 1929 |
891 days (second tenure; 1952 days in total) |
William Lyon Mackenzie King |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Calvin Coolidge |
Republican |
August 2, 1923 September 25, 1926 |
June 28, 1926 March 4, 1929 |
1952 days in total 1. 1061 days 2. 891 days |
William Lyon Mackenzie King |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Herbert Hoover |
Republican |
March 4, 1929 |
August 7, 1930 |
521 days |
R. B. Bennett |
Conservative |
Herbert Hoover |
Republican |
August 7, 1930 |
March 4, 1933 |
940 days |
R. B. Bennett |
Conservative |
Franklin D. Roosevelt |
Democratic |
March 4, 1933 |
October 23, 1935 |
963 days |
William Lyon Mackenzie King |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Franklin D. Roosevelt |
Democratic |
October 23, 1935 |
April 12, 1945 |
3459 days |
William Lyon Mackenzie King |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Harry S. Truman |
Democratic |
April 12, 1945 |
November 15, 1948 |
1313 days |
Louis St. Laurent |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Harry S. Truman |
Democratic |
November 15, 1948 |
January 20, 1953 |
1527 days |
Louis St. Laurent |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Dwight D. Eisenhower |
Republican |
January 20, 1953 |
June 21, 1957 |
1613 days |
John Diefenbaker |
Progressive Conservative |
Dwight D. Eisenhower |
Republican |
June 21, 1957 |
January 20, 1961 |
1309 days |
John Diefenbaker |
Progressive Conservative |
John F. Kennedy |
Democratic |
January 20, 1961 |
April 22, 1963 |
822 days |
Lester B. Pearson |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
John F. Kennedy |
Democratic |
April 22, 1963 |
November 22, 1963 |
214 days |
Lester B. Pearson |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Lyndon B. Johnson |
Democratic |
November 22, 1963 |
April 20, 1968 |
1611 days |
Pierre Trudeau |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Lyndon B. Johnson |
Democratic |
April 20, 1968 |
January 20, 1969 |
275 days |
Pierre Trudeau |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Richard Nixon |
Republican |
January 20, 1969 |
August 9, 1974 |
2027 days |
Pierre Trudeau |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Gerald Ford |
Republican |
August 9, 1974 |
January 20, 1977 |
895 days |
Pierre Trudeau |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Jimmy Carter |
Democratic |
January 20, 1977 |
June 4, 1979 |
865 days (first tenure; 1188 days in total) |
Joe Clark |
Progressive Conservative |
Jimmy Carter |
Democratic |
June 4, 1979 |
March 3, 1980 |
273 days |
Pierre Trudeau |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Jimmy Carter |
Democratic |
March 3, 1980 |
January 20, 1981 |
323 days (second tenure; 1188 days in total) |
Pierre Trudeau |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Jimmy Carter |
Democratic |
January 20, 1977 March 3, 1980 |
June 4, 1979 January 20, 1981 |
1188 days in total 1. 865 days 2. 323 days |
Pierre Trudeau |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Ronald Reagan |
Republican |
January 20, 1981 |
June 30, 1984 |
1257 days |
John Turner |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Ronald Reagan |
Republican |
June 30, 1984 |
September 17, 1984 |
79 days |
Brian Mulroney |
Progressive Conservative |
Ronald Reagan |
Republican |
September 17, 1984 |
January 20, 1989 |
1586 days |
Brian Mulroney |
Progressive Conservative |
George H. W. Bush |
Republican |
January 20, 1989 |
January 20, 1993 |
1461 days |
Brian Mulroney |
Progressive Conservative |
Bill Clinton |
Democratic |
January 20, 1993 |
June 25, 1993 |
156 days |
Kim Campbell |
Progressive Conservative |
Bill Clinton |
Democratic |
June 25, 1993 |
November 4, 1993 |
132 days |
Jean Chrétien |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Bill Clinton |
Democratic |
November 4, 1993 |
January 20, 2001 |
2634 days |
Jean Chrétien |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
George W. Bush |
Republican |
January 20, 2001 |
December 12, 2003 |
1056 days |
Paul Martin |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
George W. Bush |
Republican |
December 12, 2003 |
February 6, 2006 |
787 days |
Stephen Harper |
Conservative |
George W. Bush |
Republican |
February 6, 2006 |
January 20, 2009 |
1079 days |
Stephen Harper |
Conservative |
Barack Obama |
Democratic |
January 20, 2009 |
November 4, 2015 |
2479 days |
Justin Trudeau |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Barack Obama |
Democratic |
November 4, 2015 |
January 20, 2017 |
443 days |
Justin Trudeau |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Donald Trump |
Republican |
January 20, 2017 |
January 20, 2021 |
1461 days (first tenure; 1514 days in total) |
Justin Trudeau |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Joe Biden |
Democratic |
January 20, 2021 |
January 20, 2025 |
1461 days |
Justin Trudeau |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Donald Trump |
Republican |
January 20, 2025 |
March 14, 2025 |
53 days (second tenure; 1514 days in total) |
Justin Trudeau |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Donald Trump |
Republican |
January 20, 2017 January 20, 2025 |
January 20, 2021 March 14, 2025 |
1514 days in total 1. 1461 days 2. 53 days |
Mark Carney |
{ style="border-left: 5px solid #EA6D6A; padding-left: 5px;"|Liberal |
Donald Trump |
Republican |
March 14, 2025 |
Present day |
(as of ) |
See also
- Canada–United States relations
- Canada–United States political executive relations
- List of prime ministers of Canada
- List of presidents of the United States
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