The US Embassy in Ottawa has accused Canadian leaders of attempting to influence American politics ahead of the November midterm elections, escalating tensions between the two neighbours amid an ongoing trade dispute under President Donald Trump’s administration.According to the BBC, the embassy released a fact sheet on Wednesday alleging that Canadian ministers and provincial premiers had openly discussed plans to influence American politics through official documents and public appearances. The document cited meetings with US Democratic leaders and calls for retaliatory tariffs targeting politically significant American states.The unsigned document singled out Canadian Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Liberal MP Anthony Housefather and Bernadette Jordan, a former cabinet minister who now serves as Canada’s consul general in Boston.Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ford rejected the allegations, arguing that Ottawa’s actions were a response to Washington’s trade measures rather than an attempt to interfere in US elections.Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Carney said the US had initiated the trade actions against Canada and that his government had responded to protect Canadian jobs and businesses.“We’ve responded to those to protect Canadian jobs, to protect Canadian companies and develop our economy,” Carney said, adding that the measures were in the interests of Canadian workers, families and the country’s economic future.Carney was announcing an aid package worth nearly C$9 billion to support businesses and workers affected by US tariffs. Joly and Ford were also present at the announcement.Ford said he had “no interest at all” in interfering in American elections, adding that his focus remained on Ontario and Canada.“I’ll tell you what the American people want. They want certainty, they want stability,” Ford said, adding that American voters would decide the outcome of the midterm elections.
Why US has accused Canada of election interference
The embassy’s allegations focused partly on Canada’s retaliatory tariffs against American goods. The measures were introduced in response to tariffs imposed by the Trump administration and have become a major source of friction between Washington and Ottawa.The fact sheet cited comments by Joly about targeting products from politically significant US states. In August, when Canada announced retaliatory tariffs, she said the measures were intended partly to exert political pressure on the US.The embassy also referred to Joly’s response when asked what she expected from US tariff policy if Democrats won the midterm elections.“That’s exactly why I’m meeting so many governors and potential presidential candidates,” she said.Ontario Premier Ford had also urged Canada’s federal government to consider further retaliatory tariffs on imports from states considered important to Trump’s political support base.The document also highlighted Housefather’s campaign activities with a Democratic candidate in Florida and alleged that Canada was the second-largest source of foreign nationals prosecuted in the US for fraudulent or illegal voting, citing figures from the US Department of Justice.It urged Canadians to refrain from attempting to participate in or influence American elections, stating that Americans should decide their own elections.
Canada rejects allegations as tensions deepen
Joly has repeatedly denied that Canada is interfering in US elections. Last week, she said her visits to the US were aimed at attracting investment from American companies and that she planned to continue those efforts.She also said Canadians would not accept similar interference in their own elections, according to the BBC.Earlier this month, US Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra warned that American officials were closely monitoring Canadian politicians for signs of election interference. White House adviser Peter Navarro had also warned Canadians against interfering in the US midterms.“Please, if you’re on K Street, get the hell out of our country,” Navarro said, referring to the Washington lobbying industry.The dispute comes as relations between the two countries have deteriorated over trade, tariffs and Trump’s repeated remarks about making Canada the 51st US state.Carney has also pushed for Canada to reduce its economic dependence on the US. Speaking at a rally in Calgary ahead of a referendum on Alberta’s separation from Canada, he joked that Washington might interpret his remarks as election interference.“They might think that’s election interference. They’re a little touchy down there,” Carney said.The November midterm elections will determine which party controls the US House of Representatives and Senate, potentially shaping the remainder of Trump’s presidency and the administration’s ability to advance its legislative agenda.Meanwhile, a petition calling for Hoekstra’s removal over concerns that he has undermined Canada-US diplomatic relations has received more than 280,000 signatures.
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