Ottawa and Washington are trading diplomatic barbs over the upcoming US midterms. Speaking from Turkey on Friday, Prime Minister Mark Carney dismissed accusations that Canadian officials are meddling in American politics. "There is no merit to these claims," Carney told reporters, expressing disappointment that the US envoy felt compelled to make such suggestions. The remarks land hard, given the already fragile state of bilateral relations following the collapse of August trade negotiations.
The friction is not new. US Ambassador Pete Hoekstra had explicitly warned Canadians to "keep your nose out of American politics" during a podcast appearance just a week prior. The US embassy in Canada followed up on Wednesday, alleging that Ottawa ministers and provincial premiers were openly discussing ways to influence the November 3 election results. Carney’s response was blunt: he refused to acknowledge any such intent, framing the accusations as an overreach by the US diplomatic mission.
The election dispute is a symptom of a deeper economic rift. Trade talks collapsed in August after Ottawa walked away, citing "unreasonable demands" from Washington. Trump’s threats to annex Canada and his administration’s imposition of tariffs have pushed Canada to diversify its economic ties. Carney’s current trip to Turkey is part of that broader strategy to reduce reliance on the US. He went further, stating for the first time that Canada is willing to wait for a future administration to finalize a trade agreement if the current terms are unacceptable. "If it has to be months from now or longer than that... we will do that," he said, a stark departure from previous urgency to close a deal.
Carney also addressed the existential threat of US annexation, leaving no room for ambiguity. "We will never be the 51st state," he declared. The next test for these strained relations will come in November. While Carney doubts Trump will impose new tariffs solely to punish Republican losses, the vacuum created by the failed trade talks leaves Canadian exporters exposed until a new government in Washington takes the helm.