U.S. Embassy Cites Four Canadian Actions in Midterm Interference Report

The U.S. Embassy in Ottawa released a fact sheet on Wednesday listing four specific Canadian actions that it believes could constitute interference in the November 3 midterm elections. The document arrived after Prime Minister Mark Carney and other Canadian politicians rejected earlier warnings from U.S. officials to stay out of the American electoral process. The embassy pointed to instances involving a federal minister, a member of parliament, and provincial government advertising campaigns.

The list includes Liberal Member of Parliament Anthony Housefather canvassing for a Florida Democrat during a primary vote earlier this year. The embassy also cited comments by Industry Minister Mélanie Joly regarding Canada's counter-tariff strategy, with some remarks dating back to March 2025 when she served as foreign affairs minister. Additionally, the release noted the Ontario government's Ronald Reagan advertisement that aired in the United States last year and a federal billboard campaign launched in early 2025.

President Donald Trump has endorsed approximately six foreign candidates since returning to the White House in early 2025. His endorsements include presidential or prime ministerial candidates in Poland, Honduras, Colombia, and Japan. Most recently, he voiced support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Tuesday's election. Trump also backed former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's failed re-election bid, a campaign that featured Vice-President JD Vance at a rally in Budapest.

Trump previously influenced the 2025 Argentine midterms by suggesting that a financial support package would depend on a strong result for President Javier Milei's party. During a February meeting of his Board of Peace, the president addressed the practice directly. He stated, "I'm not supposed to be endorsing people. As long as it works, it's OK with me."

Daniel Drezner, a professor of international politics at Tufts University, described the situation as the pot calling the kettle black. He told CBC News that the administration has a long track record of intervening directly in the elections of official allies. Drezner noted that while Housefather's canvassing might be slightly unusual, meetings between Canadian diplomats and American politicians amount to garden variety diplomacy.

Former U.S. ambassador to Canada James Blanchard said the administration has no credibility given Trump's public endorsements. In an interview with Rosemary Barton Live airing Sunday, Blanchard stated that he would take the accusation seriously if it came from the Reagan, Bush, Obama, or Clinton administrations. He added, "But I can't from this current administration."

When asked if a Canadian official offering a similar endorsement to a midterm candidate would amount to potential election interference, the embassy declined to comment. Trump previously entered Canadian political discourse during the 2025 campaign by writing on social media that he would rather deal with a liberal than a conservative. Barack Obama endorsed Justin Trudeau in 2019 and 2021, while Senator Bernie Sanders backed Jagmeet Singh in 2021, though neither was in the executive branch at the time.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in January that Alberta would make a natural partner for the U.S. while discussing a possible separation referendum. The Globe and Mail reported that Republican political operatives were on the ground in Alberta earlier this year to assist the separatist campaign. Alberta separatists also attended meetings in U.S. State Department offices in Washington, D.C., last year.

The embassy's report follows warnings from Ambassador Pete Hoekstra and Trump adviser Peter Navarro against Canadian involvement in the midterms. Carney pushed back during a news conference in Istanbul on Friday, stating there is no merit to the claims. He expressed disappointment that the envoy views making such suggestions as his role.

Trade friction has become a pressure point for Republican candidates in border states like Michigan and Maine. Senator Susan Collins, a Republican representing Maine since 1997, said Friday that she secured exemptions to certain levies. She posted on social media that she will continue working with administration officials to seek additional relief. Mike Rogers, the Republican candidate for Michigan's open Senate seat, released a 30-second ad earlier this month stating, "Here in Michigan we know that Canada is not our enemy. We need to end this tariff war now."