Ambassador Hoekstra Suggests Canada Could Bear Blame for Republican Midterm Losses

Pete Hoekstra, the US ambassador to Canada, reportedly told business leaders at a closed-door meeting that Canada might face tougher relations if Republicans lose several swing states in the midterm elections next week. According to CTV News, which reported the comments on Wednesday, Hoekstra specifically cited races in Maine and Michigan. He suggested that if Democrats take those seats, President Donald Trump could try to pin the losses on Canada, making diplomatic ties more difficult.

Prime Minister Mark Carney responded to the report on Wednesday when asked by reporters. He described the suggestion as "an interesting way of framing it." The remarks add to existing friction between the two nations, which have been engaged in a tariff dispute for months. Ottawa has retaliated against what it calls illegal US tariffs by targeting goods from states that rely heavily on Canadian trade.

Carney said Canada "will pursue" a trade deal if one becomes possible, but noted that negotiators are "not in that position right now." Hoekstra has long been a controversial figure in Canada. Last year, he told a Michigan radio station that Trump's idea of making Canada the 51st state was a "sign of affection." He previously called the 2025 federal election "anti-American." This year, more than 225,000 Canadians signed a House of Commons petition demanding his expulsion, citing breaches of diplomatic protocol.

Recently, Hoekstra accused Canadian officials of interfering in US elections. He pointed to politicians criticizing tariffs in American media and an anti-tariff ad from Ontario that aired on US television. "If some of it becomes election interference, America will respond to it," he told a Canadian podcast. He added that Canadians should "keep your nose out of American politics."

Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, who has been a target of his comments, said Canada "would never do that" and would "never accept that also being done to us in Canada." Speaking in Turkey, Carney said there was "no merit" to the interference claims. He expressed disappointment that the US envoy saw it as his role to make such suggestions. Roland Paris, a foreign affairs adviser to former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, called the remarks an "extraordinary thing" for an ambassador to say. Paris argued the comments aimed to "manufacture a pretext for the Trump administration's own political difficulties."

The US embassy denied that Hoekstra said Canada would be blamed for a weak Republican result. A statement said his words were "grossly taken out of context" from a broader discussion. The embassy maintained that the ambassador has consistently held that Canadian media overstate the relevance of Canadian issues in American elections. It stated that Americans will decide their elections on issues important to them.

Hoekstra has been involved in other clashes. At a Canadian American Business event last year, witnesses reported he delivered an expletive-laden tirade at Ontario's trade representative after the province ran anti-tariff ads featuring Ronald Reagan. Ontario's premier called the behavior "absolutely unacceptable" and "unbecoming of an ambassador." Last week, former President Barack Obama mocked Trump's fixation on Canada at a Democratic rally in Detroit. Obama called Canada a "historical adversary" and noted that Canadians gave Americans "Martin Short … and maple syrup."