Trump Endorsed Six Foreign Leaders as U.S. Embassy Blames Canada for Midterm Interference

The U.S. Embassy in Ottawa released a fact sheet on Wednesday accusing Canada of interfering in the upcoming U.S. midterm elections. The document lists four specific instances of Canadian activity. These include Liberal MP Anthony Housefather canvassing for a Florida Democrat and comments by Industry Minister Mélanie Joly regarding counter-tariffs. The embassy also cited an Ontario government advertisement featuring Ronald Reagan and a federal billboard campaign from early 2025.

President Donald Trump has publicly supported candidates in six other nations since returning to the White House in early 2025. He backed political rivals in Poland, Honduras, Colombia, and Japan. Most recently, Trump voiced support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of an election on Tuesday. He also backed former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in a failed re-election bid, a campaign that included Vice President JD Vance at a rally in Budapest.

The President also weighed in on Argentina’s midterms last year. He suggested a financial support package depended on a strong result for President Javier Milei’s party. In February, Trump acknowledged his role in foreign politics during a meeting of his Board of Peace. He stated that he is not supposed to endorse people, but said it is okay with him as long as it works.

Daniel Drezner, a professor of international politics at Tufts University, described the situation as the pot calling the kettle black. He noted that the administration has a long track record of intervening in the elections of official allies. Former U.S. ambassador to Canada James Blanchard agreed. He told Rosemary Barton Live that the current administration lacks credibility given its list of public endorsements. Blanchard said he would take the accusations seriously from previous administrations, but not from the current one.

The U.S. Embassy declined to comment when asked if a similar endorsement by a Canadian official would count as interference. Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the claims during a news conference in Istanbul on Friday. He said there is no merit to the accusations and expressed disappointment that the U.S. envoy sees making these suggestions as his role.

Canadian officials have pushed back against the notion that they are trying to influence the November 3 vote. Joly said she has met with Republicans and Democrats in recent months. Drezner characterized those meetings as garden variety diplomacy. He called Housefather’s canvassing slightly unusual but noted that the other instances are standard diplomatic practice.

The trade war has become a pressure point for Republican candidates in border states. Senator Susan Collins of Maine said she secured some tariff exemptions for her state. A Republican candidate for Michigan’s open Senate seat released a 30-second ad criticizing tariffs. The candidate said Canada is not an enemy and that the tariff war needs to end.

Carney said he does not see the administration blaming Canada for a poor midterm result and slapping more tariffs on exports. He noted that U.S. officials previously took an interest in the Alberta referendum. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called Alberta a natural partner for the U.S. in January. Republican operatives were on the ground in Alberta earlier this year to help the separatist campaign.