Canadian diplomats posted to the United States now require prior approval from their home office before interacting with any individuals voting in the November 3 midterms. Nearly 500 diplomatic personnel fall under this restriction, which also prohibits taking photographs with elected American officials. The move aims to prevent the Trump administration from having grounds to accuse Canada of interference.
Those accusations have already surfaced. The U.S. Embassy in Ottawa published a fact sheet on October 21 titled “Monitoring Canadian Activities in U.S. Politics,” listing what it describes as Canadian efforts to influence American politics and concluding with the statement: “Americans decide America’s elections.”
The document cites five quotes from officials, including Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, who discussed leveraging American companies and selecting states for retaliatory tariffs. Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Liberal MP Anthony Housefather’s campaign activities for a Democrat in a Florida primary also appeared on the list.
Ambassador Pete Hoekstra referenced former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s September 22 attack on the Trump administration at Brown University. On a podcast released October 14, Hoekstra stated that Washington is “closely watching” Canadian politicians, particularly Industry Minister Joly for her comments about targeting “politically sensitive states” with retaliatory tariffs. He warned that crossing into interference would lead to U.S. responses.
Joly has asserted that Canada never interferes in elections and that her U.S. trips focus on attracting investment. Ford stated he has no interest in interfering, emphasizing that Americans will decide the midterms. Prime Minister Mark Carney claimed the United States initiated trade actions, noting that Canada’s response benefits its workers.
This escalation follows a year of Ottawa and Queen’s Park actively campaigning in the American political sphere. The sequence began with Ontario’s World Series commercial using Ronald Reagan’s voice to counter tariffs, which preceded Trump walking away from trade talks in October 2025. Since then, Canadian ministers have toured swing states, engaged governors, and openly discussed where retaliatory tariffs would impact the economy.
