WASHINGTON — The U.S. Embassy in Ottawa has accused Canadian government officials of trying to sway the upcoming congressional midterm elections, triggering sharp denials from top leaders in Canada who defended their retaliatory trade policies.
In a formal document issued Wednesday, the embassy alleged that Canadian officials had ignored diplomatic warnings while openly crafting plans to sway American politics. The diplomatic friction surfaces less than two weeks before the Nov. 3 elections, where voters will decide party control of both chambers of Congress during President Donald Trump’s second term.
Dispute Over Retaliatory Tariffs
The embassy singled out public statements and actions by senior Canadian officials reacting to tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. The document pointed directly to Canadian Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, citing remarks she made about strategically directing counter-tariffs toward specific American states to exert political leverage, as well as her recent meetings with Democratic officials in Boston and Chicago.
The diplomatic notice also referenced Ontario Premier Doug Ford, highlighting his push for reciprocal tariffs on states vital to the administration’s political base, as well as an Ontario-funded commercial broadcast during the 2025 World Series that featured former President Ronald Reagan advocating for free trade. That television spot previously led Trump to halt bilateral trade negotiations.
Additionally, the fact sheet referenced campaign work by Liberal Member of Parliament Anthony Housefather on behalf of Democratic Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz in Florida, along with 11 instances of Canadian citizens charged or sentenced in connection with illegal voting between 2012 and 2026. The embassy, however, presented no evidence connecting those individual voter prosecutions to any directive from the Canadian government.
“All Canadians should refrain from attempting to participate in or influence U.S. elections in any way. Americans decide America’s elections,” the embassy statement said.
Canadian Leaders Reject Allegations
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ford dismissed the allegations Wednesday during a joint news conference on Parliament Hill, where they unveiled an 8.7 billion Canadian dollar aid package — roughly $6.2 billion in U.S. funds — designed to shield Ontario’s auto and steel industries from American tariffs.
Carney emphasized that Washington initiated the trade fight when it implemented 50 percent duties on roughly $20 billion worth of Canadian products, forcing Ottawa to respond defensively.
“We’ve responded to those to protect Canadian jobs, to protect Canadian companies and develop our economy,” Carney told reporters, adding that all countermeasures were taken strictly to defend domestic workers and families.
Ford similarly dismissed any suggestion that he aimed to interfere with American balloting. The premier stated that he had “no interest at all” in intervening in the contest, noting that U.S. voters will make their own choices next month.
Joly had also pushed back against the accusations prior to the release of the embassy memo, telling reporters that Canada would never meddle in foreign elections and confirming that her trips south were aimed solely at drawing business investment north.
Escalating Diplomatic Tensions
Cross-border relations have steadily deteriorated since the renewal of trade hostilities and repeated rhetoric from Trump suggesting Canada could become an additional U.S. state. Earlier in the month, U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra cautioned Canadian officials during a podcast appearance to stay out of American political affairs, warning that Washington was actively monitoring for interference.
With ballots scheduled to be cast on Nov. 3, it remains uncertain whether the diplomatic clash will trigger formal retaliatory measures from the White House or permanently reshape long-term economic agreements across the border.
