Trade Disputes: U.S. Embassy Accuses Canada of Midterm Interference

The U.S. Embassy in Ottawa released a fact sheet on Wednesday listing specific actions by Canadian officials that it says could constitute interference in the upcoming U.S. midterm elections. The document follows warnings from Ambassador Pete Hoekstra and White House adviser Peter Navarro that Canada should stay out of the November 3 vote. Prime Minister Mark Carney and other senior Canadian leaders have consistently rejected the notion that their government is trying to sway the American election.

The embassy’s release cites several instances. It notes that Liberal MP Anthony Housefather canvassed for a Democrat in a Florida primary earlier this year. The list also includes comments made by Industry Minister Melanie Joly regarding Canada’s counter-tariff strategy, some dating back to March 2025 when she served as foreign affairs minister. Additionally, the document references an Ontario government commercial featuring former President Ronald Reagan that aired in the U.S. last year and a federal billboard campaign from early 2025.

President Donald Trump has publicly supported candidates in at least six foreign nations since taking office in early 2025. His endorsements span Poland, Honduras, Colombia, and Japan. Most recently, he voiced support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an election on Tuesday. Trump also backed former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in a failed re-election bid, a campaign that saw Vice President JD Vance attend a rally in Budapest. The president suggested that a financial support package for Argentina would depend on a favorable result for President Javier Milei’s party in last year’s midterms.

Daniel Drezner, a professor of international politics at Tufts University, described the U.S. accusations as a case of the pot calling the kettle black. He told CBC News that the current administration has a long history of intervening in the elections of allied nations. Former U.S. ambassador to Canada James Blanchard said the administration lacks credibility on this issue given Trump’s own track record. Blanchard stated in an interview that he would take the accusation seriously if it came from previous administrations, but he finds it difficult to accept from the current one.

The embassy declined to comment when asked if a Canadian official offering a similar endorsement to a midterm candidate would also count as interference. The trade war has become a central issue for Republican candidates in border states. Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine said she secured exemptions to tariffs and will continue working with administration officials for more relief. In Michigan, Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers aired a commercial this month criticizing the tariffs. Rogers said in the ad that Canada is not an enemy and that the tariff war needs to end.

Carney addressed the dispute during a news conference in Istanbul on Friday. He said there is no merit to the claims and expressed disappointment that the U.S. envoy sees it as his role to make such suggestions. Joly pushed back against the accusations, noting she has met with both Republicans and Democrats in recent months. Drezner characterized those meetings as standard diplomacy, though he acknowledged that Housefather’s canvassing was slightly unusual.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in January that Alberta would be a natural partner for the U.S. while discussing a separation referendum. Republican political operatives were on the ground in Alberta earlier this year to support the separatist campaign. Alberta separatists also attended meetings at the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C., last year. When asked if the Trump administration might blame Canada for poor midterm results and impose more tariffs, Carney said he does not see that coming to pass.