Sheinbaum and Trump Hold First In-Person Meeting in Washington

Washington, D.C. — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and U.S. President Donald Trump held their first in-person meeting yesterday at the Kennedy Center, immediately following the World Cup draw ceremony.

The brief bilateral session was closed to the media. At the end of her day in Washington, the president commented that it was “a very positive meeting” that lasted almost an hour (it was unclear whether this session included her Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney) and that “the good thing is that it was very cordial” and therefore “I leave very positive.”

In the very brief exchange with reporters at the end of the day, when asked if the USMCA trade agreement was discussed, she responded that it was not. Regarding what Trump said about Mexico, she answered that “we are an extraordinary country and we are doing very well.”

She revealed that she invited Trump to Mexico and that he had also asked her to return to Washington; however, they did not set dates.

The president began her whirlwind visit to this snow-decorated capital at the Kennedy Center. She greeted soccer figures on the so-called “red carpet” of the 2026 World Cup draw as she proceeded to her meeting with the event’s host in a room within the cultural venue.

When Trump arrived, he confirmed that he would be meeting with Sheinbaum and when asked if he would address the immigration issue, he responded “yes.”

This meeting marks the first face-to-face encounter between President Sheinbaum and Donald Trump. It is worth recalling that the Mexican president had already held a previous meeting with the Canadian prime minister in September at the National Palace.

During the event, Trump and Sheinbaum, along with their Canadian counterpart, Prime Minister Mark Carney, were seated in the Kennedy Center’s grand hall for about 50 minutes, where they exchanged words, although what they were discussing was not reported.

After the draw ceremony concluded, they continued their conversation in a private session held at the same venue.

From there, the president moved to the Mexican Cultural Institute for a brief meeting with representatives of the Mexican community in this capital.

Upon arrival, she was warmly received and even received hugs from some Mexicans waiting to welcome her.

Sheinbaum posted a message on her X social media account after the meeting with Trump and Carney:

“In Washington, we had an excellent meeting with the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and with the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney; we talked about the great opportunity that the 2026 FIFA World Cup represents for the three countries and about the good relationship we have. We agreed to continue working together on trade issues with our teams.”

Additionally, other Mexican political figures attended the draw event, such as Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada, who posted a video among the snow on Washington streets, and Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus, who even wore a Mexican national team jersey with his name on the back.

This trilateral meeting occurs after a similar encounter was frustrated during the G-7 summit, due to tensions between Israel and Iran, in June of this year, when Trump left the meeting to return to Washington D.C.

Prior to his arrival at the Kennedy Center, Trump had advanced that they would meet and stated: “We get along very well.” Later, in an interview with media, he highlighted Sheinbaum’s presence at the World Cup draw, describing her as “a good woman who does a great job.” He also stated that, thanks to the performance of Mexico and Canada, the United States is breaking records, including ticket sales for the tournament.

The event was an opportunity to see the three leaders united by their role as co-organizers of this World Cup event, the largest in soccer history, despite recent differences regarding the North American Trade Agreement and tariff policies promoted by Trump.

Upon leaving the meeting, the president was approached by the press and stated that the encounter went very well. Sheinbaum added that it was a cordial meeting and that she leaves with a very positive impression. She noted that she reiterated to Trump that Mexico is an extraordinary country and that they will continue working together. She detailed that the meeting lasted almost an hour and advanced that both leaders invited each other to visit Mexico and the United States; the date will be determined later. Furthermore, the president surprised by greeting members of the Mexican migrant community upon her arrival at the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, where she was warmly and numerously received.