U.S. Embassy Cites Canadian Actions as Midterm Interference While Trump Backs Foreign Candidates

The U.S. Embassy in Ottawa released a fact sheet on Wednesday listing Canadian government actions it says constitute potential interference in the November 3 midterms. The document arrived as President Donald Trump continued to publicly support candidates in other nations, creating a contradiction between the accusation and the administration's own conduct.

The embassy identified four specific instances. These include Liberal MP Anthony Housefather canvassing for a Florida Democrat during a primary this year, comments by Industry Minister Mélanie Joly on counter-tariffs, an Ontario government advertisement for Ronald Reagan shown in the U.S. last year, and a federal billboard campaign from early 2025.

Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the findings on Friday during a news conference in Istanbul. He stated there is no merit to the claims and expressed disappointment that U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra sees making such suggestions as part of his role.

Trump has endorsed presidential or prime ministerial candidates in Poland, Honduras, Colombia, and Japan since taking office in early 2025. He also voiced support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Tuesday's election and backed Viktor Orbán's failed re-election bid in Hungary, with Vice President JD Vance attending a rally in Budapest.

Daniel Drezner, a professor of international politics at Tufts University, described the situation as the pot calling the kettle black. He noted that heads of state typically avoid overt campaigning for foreign parties to maintain neutral business relations. Drezner said Joly’s meetings with U.S. politicians are standard diplomacy.

The trade conflict has become a financial issue for Republicans in border states. Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said she secured exemptions to tariffs on Friday. In Michigan, Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers ran a 30-second ad this month stating that Canada is not an enemy and that the tariff war must end.

Former U.S. Ambassador James Blanchard told Rosemary Barton Live on Sunday that the current administration lacks credibility given Trump's endorsement history. He said he would take the accusation seriously if it came from the Reagan, Bush, Clinton, or Obama administrations, but not from the current one. The U.S. Embassy declined to comment on whether a similar endorsement by a Canadian official would be considered interference.