U.S. Embassy Accuses Canada of Midterm Election Interference

The U.S. Embassy in Ottawa has accused the Canadian government of attempting to influence the November 3 midterm elections. In a factsheet titled "Monitoring Canadian Activities in U.S. Politics," the embassy alleges that Canadian ministers and provincial leaders are using retaliatory tariffs and strategic engagements with Democratic officials to exert political pressure on the Trump administration.

Specific allegations target Industry Minister Melanie Joly for meetings with Democratic officials and a strategy to target products in specific U.S. states. The embassy also cited Ontario Premier Doug Ford for proposing tariffs on politically significant states and a CAD 75 million advertising campaign targeting Republican districts. U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra warned Canadian politicians to keep their "nose out" of American politics, citing a previous Ontario advertisement featuring Ronald Reagan as an example of interference.

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier Doug Ford disputed the claims. Carney defended Canada's actions as necessary responses to U.S. trade policies and announced a $9 billion aid package to counter tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump in 2025. Joly maintained her U.S. engagements were focused on attracting investments and denied any intent to interfere in the electoral process.