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US Embassy in Ottawa accuses Canada of seeking to influence midterm elections; Carney pushes back
The US Embassy in Ottawa released a fact sheet titled "Monitoring Canadian Activities in U.S. Politics" on October 22, accusing Canada of dismissing concerns about election interference while "openly describing plans to influence American politics." It cited Industry Minister Mélanie Joly's meetings with US Democratic officials and Premier Doug Ford's push for retaliatory tariffs. PM Mark Carney rejected the claims, noting the US initiated trade actions first.
Why it matters
This is the latest signal of deteriorating US-Canada relations. With the November 3 midterms set to decide control of both chambers of Congress, a US embassy publicly accusing its host government of 'election interference' extends the tariff war into electoral politics — and Ottawa batted it right back: the US moved first.
To be clear, the fact sheet presents the American side's allegations, which Canada has denied. This report records what the US alleged and how Canada responded; it does not rule on the truth of the allegations.
Full report
The US Embassy in Ottawa released a fact sheet titled "Monitoring Canadian Activities in U.S. Politics," accusing the Canadian government of brushing off concerns about potential interference in US elections while its ministers and premiers 'openly describe plans to influence American politics in official documents and public appearances.'
The examples cited include Industry Minister Mélanie Joly's September meetings with US Democratic officials in Boston and Chicago — when asked about tariff implications if Democrats won the midterms, she was quoted as saying, "That's exactly why I'm meeting so many governors and potential presidential candidates"; her August 25 press conference acknowledging a list of products targeting political pressure on US states; Ontario Premier Doug Ford's push for retaliatory tariffs on imports from 'politically significant states to the current administration's base of support'; Ontario's C$75 million anti-tariff advertising campaign; and a Canadian MP reportedly campaigning for a US Democratic representative.
Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the allegations on October 22, noting that it was the US that first initiated trade actions against Canada. "We've responded to those to protect Canadian jobs, to protect Canadian companies and develop our economy," Carney said, adding that his government's response was "in the interests of Canadian workers, Canadian families and the future of this economy."
The midterms take place on November 3 and will determine which party controls both branches of the US Congress.
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