US accuses Canada of seeking to influence 2026 midterm elections

The US Embassy in Ottawa cited statements by Canadian ministers and provincial leaders on retaliatory tariffs, political pressure on the Trump administration and engagements with US Democratic officials.

In a factsheet titled Monitoring Canadian Activities in U.S. Politics, the embassy alleged that the Canadian government had dismissed concerns about potential interference in American elections despite its officials publicly discussing efforts to exert political pressure in the United States.

The Canadian government 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 said in the factsheet.

The factsheet cited Canadian Industry Minister Mlanie Jolys meetings with US Democratic officials in Boston and Chicago in September 2026, ahead of the midterm elections.

When asked about the potential implications for tariffs if Democrats won the elections, Joly reportedly said, Thats exactly why Im meeting so many governors and potential presidential candidates, according to a September 19 report by La Presse Canadienne cited in the document.

The embassy also highlighted Jolys remarks at an August 25 press conference, in which she acknowledged targeting products that would put political pressure on US states.

Were also targeting products that will target states in the U.S. And so were being wise and strategic to put political pressure, and thats why we think its the right thing to do right now, Joly said, according to the factsheet.

It further cited her March 2025 remarks about putting pressure on American businesses in key Republican states to influence the Trump administration.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford also featured in the document. The embassy referred to a letter Ford sent to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in August 2026, urging consideration of additional retaliatory tariffs on imports from politically significant states supporting the US administration.

The factsheet also mentioned Ontarios CAD 75 million anti-tariff advertising campaign launched in October 2025, which featured excerpts from former US President Ronald Reagan. Ford had said the campaign's message would be repeated across Republican districts nationwide.

Other examples included Canadian Liberal MP Anthony Housefathers reported campaigning for US Democratic Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz ahead of her Florida primary and Canadian Consul General Bernadette Jordans appearance alongside Democratic lawmakers at a Vermont roundtable on trade tensions in October.

Separately, the embassy cited US Department of Justice cases involving Canadian citizens charged with or convicted of unlawful voting in American elections. It claimed that at least 11 Canadians had been charged or sentenced in 2026 in cases involving elections and primaries held between 2012 and 2024.

The embassy urged Canadians to refrain from participating in or influencing American elections, stating, All Canadians should refrain from attempting to participate in or influence U.S. elections in any way. Americans decide Americas elections.

The allegations come amid an ongoing trade dispute between Washington and Ottawa that began after US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian goods during his second term in 2025, prompting Canada to introduce retaliatory duties.

The factsheet adds to tensions between the two countries ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, which will determine control of the US Congress. (ANI)