US accuses Canada of election interference ahead of midterms

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 22 Oct, 05:44 · Archive

The US embassy has accused Canadian officials of attempting to influence November midterm elections through tariff rhetoric and meetings with Democrats.

The US embassy in Ottawa released a fact sheet on Wednesday accusing Canadian officials of election meddling. It alleged that Canadian ministers and premiers 'openly describe plans to influence American politics in official documents and public appearances' and have brushed off concerns about potential interference ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.

The embassy cited comments by Industry Minister Melanie Joly about targeting politically significant US states with retaliatory tariffs. When asked by a reporter what she expected regarding tariffs if Democrats won the midterms, Joly responded, 'That's exactly why I'm meeting so many governors and potential presidential candidates.' The fact sheet also highlighted Joly's meetings with Democratic officials in Boston and Chicago in September. Ontario Premier Doug Ford was singled out for pushing the federal government to consider retaliatory tariffs on imports from states significant to the Trump administration's base of support.

Canadian leaders rejected the allegations. Prime Minister Mark Carney noted that the US had initiated trade actions against Canada, and that Canada had responded to protect Canadian jobs and companies. Joly said Canada would never meddle in US elections and that her meetings with both Democratic and Republican politicians were aimed at attracting investment to Canada's economy.

How it is being reported

• US embassy accuses Canada of election meddling ahead of midtermsPrime Minister Mark Carney dismissed the claim, noting that it was the that US initiated trade actions against Canada.BBC World · 22 Oct, 04:05
• US accuses Canada of election interference ahead of midtermsWashington cites Canadian tariffs, political meetings and anti-Trump ads as evidence of attempted election interference.Al Jazeera · 22 Oct, 00:52

In this story: United States · Canada · Donald Trump · Melanie Joly · Mark Carney · Doug Ford

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem