Washington just accused Canada of meddling in its midterms — and Ottawa is calling it absurd

What Washington claims

The U.S. Embassy in Ottawa on Wednesday released a fact sheet titled "Monitoring Canadian Activities in U.S. Politics," accusing Canadian officials of seeking to influence American politics ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The document says Canada "brushes off concerns about potential interference in U.S. elections, even as its ministers and premiers openly describe plans to influence American politics in official documents and public appearances." The embassy cited Canadian retaliatory-tariff strategy, meetings with U.S. Democratic officials, and Ontario's anti-tariff advertising as the evidence — all items it presents as attempted election interference, a characterization Ottawa rejects.

Who is named

Industry Minister Mélanie Joly is quoted at length. The fact sheet points to her August remarks that Canada was "targeting products that will target states in the US" and being "wise and strategic to put political pressure," and to her September meetings with Democratic officials in Boston and Chicago. Asked then what tariffs might look like if Democrats won the midterms, she reportedly replied: "That's exactly why I'm meeting so many governors and potential presidential candidates." Ontario Premier Doug Ford is cited for pushing retaliatory tariffs on goods from "politically significant states" and for Ontario's 2025 ad campaign that used Ronald Reagan clips criticizing tariffs — an ad after which Trump called off trade talks with Canada. The fact sheet also lists 11 individuals charged or sentenced for illegally voting in U.S. elections between 2012 and 2024; the document does not link those cases to the Canadian government.

Ottawa's response

All three denied the charge. Joly said Canada would never interfere in another country's elections and would "never accept that also being done to us in Canada," adding that her meetings with Democrats and Republicans were about attracting investment. Ford said he has "no interest at all" in interfering. Carney, asked Wednesday after announcing the $8.7-billion Ontario tariff package, pointed to who started the trade war: "We've responded to those to protect Canadian jobs, to protect Canadian companies and develop our economy," he said. In a separate interview he added: "We don't get ourselves involved in their elections, they don't get themselves involved in our elections."

The Canadian angle

The accusation lands less than two weeks before Americans vote — and days after Canada rolled out billions in tariff-response spending. McGill political scientist Daniel Béland called the implicit assumption that Canada could significantly alter the midterm outcome "absurd," warning the accusation could pave the way for "Blame Canada" rhetoric after the results are in. The midterms will decide control of both chambers of Congress, and with it how much of the remainder of Donald Trump's second term is constrained.