Canada hit back at Trump tariffs. Now the U.S. alleges possible election interference.

The U.S. Embassy in Canada accused Canadian leaders of "openly" describing plans to "influence American politics," doubling down on Ambassador Pete Hoekstra's claims of potential election interference. Why it matters: The accusation further deteriorates Washington's relationship with its northern neighbor under President Trump's costly trade war that's put political pressure on Republicans. Canada targeted its retaliatory tariffs on politically salient states and products ahead of the U.S. midterms. Driving the news: The embassy cited Canada's targeted tariffs as part of the influence accusations laid out in a Wednesday fact sheet. It cited remarks from Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, including an August press conference where she said Canada was "targeting products that will target states in the U.S." She added, "we're being wise and strategic to put political pressure." Joly has echoed that message throughout the trade tensions. The fact sheet also cited Joly's meeting with Democrats. She recently huddled with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. What they're saying: Asked about the accusations during a news conference, Prime Minister Mark Carney said "all of our actions are in the interest of Canadian workers, Canadian families and the future of this economy." Zoom out: The fact sheet also singled out conservative Ontario Premier Doug Ford over a 2025 anti-tariff ad campaign featuring excerpts from a Ronald Reagan speech. It also cited Liberal MP Anthony Housefather's campaigning for Florida Democrat Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. The memo read, "The Canadian government brushes off concerns about potential interference in U.S. elections, even as its ministers and premiers openly describe plans to influence American politics in official documents and public appearances." Catch up quick: Hoekstra said in a recent podcast interview that American officials were "closely watching" Canada for potential election interference. Joly said last week it was "absolutely not" fair to characterize Canada's actions as election interference. Her visits, she said, were aimed to attract investments. Carney, after cheering Canada's reduced dependence on the U.S. in a speech earlier this month, joked, "Careful, they might think that's election interference," seemingly a jab at Hoekstra. Worth noting: The Trump administration has taken an increasingly antagonistic approach to Canada, from trade tensions to threats over its sovereignty. In August, Trump signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario, which straddles the U.S.-Canada border, to "Lake America." He's also continuously said Canada should become the "51st state." The big picture: Trump himself has openly weighed in on politics beyond U.S. borders, including during Canada's 2025 election campaign and ahead of Israel's elections this month. On Sunday, Trump endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for reelection just nine days before Israel's national vote. Go deeper: Escalated U.S.-Canada trade talks threaten fallout

Read it at Axios ↗

← Front page