US Embassy cites Canadian actions while Trump backs six foreign candidates

The US Embassy in Ottawa released a fact sheet on Wednesday listing four specific Canadian actions that officials described as potential interference in the upcoming November 3 midterm elections. The document arrived after Prime Minister Mark Carney and other Canadian politicians dismissed previous suggestions that their government was attempting to influence the US vote. The embassy pointed to Liberal MP Anthony Housefather canvassing for a Florida Democrat during a primary earlier this year. It also cited comments made by Industry Minister Mélanie Joly regarding Canada's counter-tariff strategy, some dating back to March 2025 when she held the foreign affairs portfolio.

The release further identified the Ontario government's Ronald Reagan advertisement that ran in the US last year and a federal billboard campaign from early 2025. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra and Trump adviser Peter Navarro had previously warned against Canadian involvement in the midterms. Carney responded to the new report during a news conference in Istanbul on Friday. He stated that there was no merit to the claims and expressed disappointment that Hoekstra viewed such suggestions as part of his role.

President Donald Trump has endorsed candidates in multiple foreign countries since returning to the White House in early 2025. His supporters include presidential or prime ministerial candidates in Poland, Honduras, Colombia, and Japan. He recently voiced support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an election on Tuesday. Trump also backed former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's failed re-election bid, a campaign that included Vice-President JD Vance at a rally in Budapest. The president weighed in on last year's Argentine midterms by suggesting that a financial support package depended on a strong result for President Javier Milei's party.

Daniel Drezner, a professor of international politics at Tufts University, described the US accusation as a situation of the pot calling the kettle black. He noted that the administration has a long track record of intervening directly in the elections of allies. Former US ambassador to Canada James Blanchard told Rosemary Barton Live on Sunday that the administration lacks credibility given Trump's public endorsements. Blanchard stated that he would take the accusation seriously from previous administrations, but could not from the current one.

The embassy declined to comment when asked if a Canadian official offering a similar endorsement to a midterm candidate would amount to interference. Drezner characterized Housefather's canvassing as slightly unusual but viewed meetings between Joly, Canada's consul general in Boston, and American politicians as standard diplomacy. Joly has pushed back against the accusations, noting that she has met with both Republicans and Democrats in recent months.

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 some tariffs. She pledged to continue working with administration officials to seek additional relief and a broader trade agreement. A Republican candidate for Michigan's open Senate seat released a thirty-second ad earlier this month criticizing the tariffs. The candidate, Mike Rogers, stated in the ad that Canada is not an enemy and that the tariff war needs to end.

Trump officials also took an interest in the recent Alberta referendum. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in January that Alberta would make a natural partner for the US while discussing the possibility of separation. The Globe and Mail reported that Republican political operatives were in Alberta earlier this year to assist the separatist campaign. Alberta separatists also attended meetings in US State Department offices in Washington, D.C., last year. Carney said on Friday that he does not expect the administration to blame Canada for poor midterm results or slap more tariffs on exports.