Trump’s foreign election endorsements spark U.S. claims of Canadian meddling in midterms

U.S. officials have publicly accused Canada of attempting to sway the November 3 U.S. midterm elections, pointing to actions like Liberal MP Anthony Housefather’s canvassing for a Florida Democrat and comments from Industry Minister Mélanie Joly on trade policy. The U.S. Embassy in Ottawa released a fact sheet listing these incidents alongside a controversial Ontario ad and a federal billboard campaign. The charge arrives as President Donald Trump, who returned to the White House in early 2025, has openly endorsed candidates in Poland, Honduras, Colombia, Japan and most recently Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, and previously backed Hungary’s Viktor Orbán and Argentina’s Javier Milei.

Scholars highlighted the hypocrisy of the U.S. administration, which traditionally avoids foreign election meddling, while Trump continues to promote foreign politicians. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney dismissed the allegations as baseless, and officials such as Pete Hoekstra and Peter Navarro warned Canada against involvement. The dispute unfolds alongside broader U.S.-Canada tensions over trade tariffs and the Alberta separatist referendum.