Trump Endorsed Foreign Leaders While U.S. Accused Canada of Midterm Interference

Voters in border states face a new layer of political friction ahead of the November 3 midterms. U.S. officials have formally accused Canadian politicians of interfering in the upcoming election. At the same time, President Donald Trump has a public record of endorsing foreign leaders. The U.S. Embassy in Ottawa released a fact sheet on Wednesday listing instances it claims could amount to potential interference in U.S. elections. This move followed warnings from Ambassador Pete Hoekstra and White House adviser Peter Navarro. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called the claims meritless during a news conference in Istanbul on Friday.

The embassy’s document cites several specific actions. It points to Liberal MP Anthony Housefather canvassing for a Florida Democrat in a primary earlier this year. It also includes comments by Industry Minister Mélanie Joly regarding Canada's counter-tariff strategy. Some of these remarks date back to March 2025, when Joly served as foreign affairs minister. The list further includes an Ontario government advertisement featuring former President Ronald Reagan and a federal billboard campaign from early 2025. The embassy did not specify which of these actions it deemed most severe.

Trump has backed presidential or prime ministerial candidates in Poland, Honduras, Colombia, and Japan since returning to the White House in early 2025. Most recently, he voiced support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Tuesday's election. He also supported former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s failed re-election bid. Vice President JD Vance attended a rally in Budapest to support Orbán. In Argentina, Trump suggested a financial support package would depend on a good result for President Javier Milei’s party in last year's midterms. He also wrote on social media during the 2025 Canadian campaign that he would rather deal with a liberal than a conservative.

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

The U.S. Embassy declined to comment when asked if a similar endorsement by a Canadian official would also constitute interference. Joly pushed back against the accusations by noting she has met with both Republicans and Democrats in recent months. Drezner characterized those meetings as garden variety diplomacy. He viewed Housefather's canvassing as slightly unusual but did not classify it as major interference. The trade war has become a pressure point for Republican candidates in border states.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who has represented Maine since 1997, said she secured exemptions to certain tariffs on Friday. She posted on social media that she will continue working with administration officials to seek additional relief. In Michigan, Republican candidate Mike Rogers released a 30-second ad criticizing tariffs earlier this month. Rogers said in the ad that Canada is not an enemy and that the tariff war needs to end. Drezner said he could easily see the Trump administration blaming Canada for poor midterm results. He called blaming anyone and everyone the modus operandi of this White House.

Carney said on Friday that he does not see the administration blaming Canada for a poor result and slapping more tariffs on exports. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent discussed the possibility of an Alberta separation referendum in January. He called the province a natural partner for the U.S. The Globe and Mail reported that Republican political operatives were on the ground in Alberta earlier this year to help the separatist campaign. Alberta separatists also attended meetings in U.S. State Department offices in Washington, D.C., last year.