US ambassador suggests Trump could blame Canada if midterms go badly for Republicans

The US ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, reportedly told business leaders at a closed-door meeting that if Democrats win several swing races in next week's US midterm congressional elections, including in Maine and Michigan, things could become harder for Canada, because President Donald Trump might try to blame it for the losses. The report came from Canadian broadcaster CTV. It matters because the two countries have been locked in a bitter tariff dispute for months.

Government reaction

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, asked about the claims, called it "an interesting way of framing it". He said Canada would pursue a trade deal if one presented itself, but that its negotiators are "not in that position right now". Speaking in Turkey, Carney said there was "no merit" to claims of Canadian interference and that he was disappointed the envoy sees making such suggestions as his role.

Canada's industry minister, Mélanie Joly, who was a target of Hoekstra's comments, said Canada "would never do that" and would never accept it being done to Canada.

The US embassy denied that Hoekstra said Canada would be blamed for a poor Republican result, saying the remarks were "grossly taken out of context". It stressed that Americans will decide their elections based on issues important to them.

A controversial envoy

Hoekstra is a polarizing figure in Canada. He described Trump's talk of making Canada the 51st US state as a "sign of affection" and called Canada's 2025 federal election "anti-American". A House of Commons petition signed by more than 225,000 people called for his expulsion. More recently he has accused Canadian officials of interfering in US elections, pointing to criticism of the tariffs in US media and Ontario's anti-tariff advertisement on US television.

Roland Paris, a University of Ottawa professor and former foreign affairs adviser to ex-prime minister Justin Trudeau, called the remarks "an extraordinary thing" for an ambassador to say and said Hoekstra's comments have aggravated tensions rather than helped manage them.

Last week, former US president Barack Obama mocked Trump's fixation on Canada at a Democratic rally in Detroit.