After a year of Canadian ministers touring swing states and targeting tariffs at “politically sensitive” places, Canada has ordered nearly 500 diplomats to avoid all contact with U.S. electoral activities ahead of the November 3 midterms.
According to sources, Canadian diplomats posted in the United States now require clearance from headquarters before they share a room with anyone on a ballot or take pictures with elected American officials. The policy aims to prevent the Trump administration from citing Canadian interference when it accuses Canada of meddling.
Those accusations have already emerged. On October 21, the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa published a fact sheet titled “Monitoring Canadian Activities in U.S. Politics,” detailing what it describes as Canadian efforts to influence American politics and concluding with: “Americans decide America’s elections.”
The fact sheet included five quotes from Industry Minister Mélanie Joly on leveraging American companies and selecting states for retaliatory tariffs. Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Liberal MP Anthony Housefather’s campaigning 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.
Hoekstra stated on a podcast released October 14 that Washington is “closely watching” Canadian politicians, particularly Mélanie Joly for her remarks about targeting “politically sensitive states” with retaliatory tariffs. He warned that actions 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 that the United States initiated trade actions, and Canada’s response benefits Canadian workers.
The context includes a year of Ottawa and Queen’s Park campaigning in American politics. A pivotal moment was Ontario’s World Series commercial featuring Ronald Reagan’s voice repurposed against tariffs, which preceded Trump walking away from trade talks in October 2025. Since then, Canadian ministers have toured swing states, courted governors, and openly discussed where counter-tariffs would harm the most.
