U.S. Embassy Identifies Canadian Actions as Midterm Interference
Ottawa rejects the claims as Canadian officials dispute the embassy's list of diplomatic activities that occurred before the November 3 vote.
By Samir Patterson ·
The United States Embassy in Ottawa released a document on Wednesday that identifies specific Canadian actions as potential interference in the upcoming U.S. midterm elections.
The embassy's fact sheet lists four instances of activity by Canadian officials. It cites Liberal Member of Parliament Anthony Housefather canvassing for a Florida Democrat during a primary earlier this year. The document also includes comments made by Industry Minister Mélanie Joly regarding Canada's counter-tariff strategy, some of which date back to March 2025 when she served as foreign affairs minister. Additionally, the list references the Ontario government's Ronald Reagan advertisement that ran in the United States last year and a federal billboard campaign from early 2025.
Prime Minister Mark Carney and other Canadian politicians have dismissed previous suggestions that Ottawa is attempting to influence the vote outcome. Carney addressed the new release during a news conference in Istanbul on Friday. He stated that the claims have no merit and expressed disappointment that U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra sees it as his role to make such suggestions. Carney added that he does not expect the Trump administration to blame Canada for poor midterm results or impose additional tariffs on Canadian exports.
Former U.S. ambassador to Canada James Blanchard offered a different perspective in an interview with Rosemary Barton Live airing on Sunday. He said the current administration has no credibility in making these accusations given President Donald Trump's own track record. Blanchard noted that he would have taken the accusation seriously if it came from the Reagan, Bush, Obama, or Clinton administrations, but he cannot take it seriously from the current one.
President Trump has endorsed candidates in foreign elections since returning to the White House in early 2025. He has backed presidential or prime ministerial candidates in Poland, Honduras, Colombia, and Japan. He also voiced support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of an election and supported former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán's failed re-election bid. In that instance, Vice-President JD Vance appeared at a rally in Budapest. Trump also weighed in on the 2025 Argentine midterms, suggesting that financial support for President Javier Milei's party would hinge on the election result.
Daniel Drezner, a professor of international politics at Tufts University in Massachusetts, described the situation as the pot calling the kettle black. He told CBC News that this administration has a long track record of intervening directly in the elections of official allies. Drezner noted that while Housefather's canvassing might be slightly unusual, other instances such as meetings between Joly and American politicians amount to garden variety diplomacy. He pointed out that heads of state typically do not weigh in on foreign elections to ensure they can do business with whoever wins.
The trade war has become a pressure point for Republican candidates in border states. Senator Susan Collins of Maine said on Friday that she secured exemptions to U.S. levies. She posted on social media that she would continue working with administration officials to seek additional relief and encourage a broader trade agreement with Canada. A Republican candidate for Michigan's open Senate seat released a thirty-second ad earlier this month criticizing tariffs. The candidate, Mike Rogers, stated in the ad that Michigan knows Canada is not an enemy and that the tariff war needs to end.
The embassy's list comes after Ambassador Hoekstra and Trump adviser Peter Navarro warned against Canadian involvement in the midterms. The U.S. Embassy declined to comment when asked if a Canadian official offering a similar endorsement to a midterm candidate would amount to potential election interference. Trump also intervened in the 2025 Canadian campaign, writing on social media that he would rather deal with a liberal than a conservative. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in January that Alberta would make a natural partner for the U.S. while discussing a separation referendum.
Carney told reporters in Istanbul that he is disappointed by the embassy's focus on these issues. He maintained that Canada is not looking to interfere in the U.S. vote. The next major electoral event in the United States is scheduled for November 3.
