American officials have repeatedly warned Canada not to interfere in the Nov. 3 U.S. midterm elections, yet President Donald Trump has built his own record of publicly backing candidates in foreign votes since returning to the White House in early 2025.
Trump has endorsed about half a dozen candidates worldwide since early 2025, including presidential or prime ministerial hopefuls in Poland, Honduras, Colombia and Japan. He recently voiced support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an election Tuesday, and backed former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán's failed re-election bid, which included Vice-President JD Vance appearing at a Budapest rally. He also weighed in on Argentina's midterms last year, suggesting a financial support package would hinge on a strong result for President Javier Milei's party.
Trump defended the practice at the February inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace. "I'm not supposed to be endorsing people," he said. "As long as it works, it's OK with me."
The dispute sharpened Wednesday when the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa released a fact sheet citing what it called potential interference in U.S. elections. It pointed to Liberal MP Anthony Housefather canvassing for a Florida Democrat he has described as a friend during a primary this year, Industry Minister Mélanie Joly's comments on Canada's counter-tariff strategy dating to March 2025, the Ontario government's Ronald Reagan ad that aired in the United States last year, and a federal billboard campaign from early 2025.
Daniel Drezner, a professor of international politics at Tufts University, called the warnings a case of the "pot calling the kettle black." "The truth is that this administration has had a long track record of intervening directly into the elections of official allies," he told CBC News.
Former U.S. ambassador to Canada James Blanchard told Rosemary Barton Live in an interview airing Sunday that the administration has "no credibility" on the file. "If this accusation had come from the Reagan administration or the Bush administration or the Obama administration, the Clinton administration, I would take it seriously," he said. "But I can't from this current administration."
Asked whether a similar endorsement from a Canadian official would amount to interference given Trump's record, the embassy declined to comment. Trump entered Canada's 2025 campaign himself, writing on social media that he would "rather deal with a liberal than a conservative." Barack Obama endorsed Justin Trudeau in 2019 and 2021, though after leaving office, and Sen. Bernie Sanders backed former NDP leader Jagmeet Singh in the 2021 campaign. Drezner said those cases differ because the endorsers held no executive office at the time, citing the long-standing norm that heads of government avoid taking sides in foreign elections.
Trump officials have also taken an interest in Alberta's referendum debate. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in January the province would make a "natural partner" for the United States while discussing a possible separation vote. The Globe and Mail reported Republican operatives were on the ground in Alberta earlier this year aiding the separatist campaign, and CBC News previously reported Alberta separatists attended meetings at U.S. State Department offices in Washington last year.
The embassy's list followed warnings from Ambassador Pete Hoekstra and Trump adviser Peter Navarro about Canadian involvement in the midterms. Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the claims Friday at a news conference in Istanbul. "There is no merit to these claims, so I'll call it out that way," he said, adding he was disappointed the envoy saw such suggestions as his role. Drezner said Housefather's canvassing might be "slightly unusual" but called other cited items, such as Joly meeting American politicians, "garden variety diplomacy." Joly has said she recently met with Republicans and Democrats alike.
The trade war has become a pressure point for Republicans in border states such as Michigan and Maine. Sen. Susan Collins said Friday she had "secured" exemptions from some tariffs and would keep working toward a broader trade agreement with Canada. Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers released an ad this month declaring that "Canada is not our enemy." Drezner said he could "easily see" the White House blaming poor midterm results on Canada. Carney, asked Friday about that prospect and the risk of further tariffs, said he does not "see that coming to pass."