Carney rejects US election interference claims, criticizes Trump's ambassador to Canada

TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Friday there is “no merit” to U.S. allegations that Canadian politicians are interfering in next month’s U.S. midterm elections, expressing disappointment with Washington’s ambassador over the accusations.

Speaking to reporters in Istanbul, Turkey, Carney rejected a fact sheet issued Wednesday by the U.S. Embassy in Canada accusing Canadian politicians of seeking to influence American politics.

“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.

Carney said Canadian diplomats were careful to avoid even the appearance of election interference and expressed disappointment with U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra.

“There is no merit to these claims,” Carney said. “I’m disappointed that their envoy sees that as his role, to make these suggestions.”

The embassy singled out Industry Minister Mélanie Joly for discussing retaliatory tariffs targeting Republican states, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford for airing a U.S. advertisement featuring former President Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs. Trump canceled trade talks with Canada after the ad aired during the World Series in October 2025.

The embassy also cited 11 Canadians charged with illegally voting in U.S. elections between 2012 and 2026, without linking the cases to Canada’s government. The Trump administration has made investigating noncitizen voting a priority, although election experts say such cases are rare.

Asked about the allegations, the State Department told The Associated Press: “The embassy fact sheet speaks for itself.”

McGill University political scientist Daniel Béland dismissed the embassy’s examples as evidence of foreign interference, saying the suggestion that Canada could significantly influence the U.S. midterm results was absurd. He warned that the allegations could lay the groundwork for blaming Canada if Republicans lose seats.

Hoekstra, a Trump ally and former Republican congressman from Michigan, recently warned Canadian politicians to keep their “nose out” of American politics, saying Washington was monitoring their activities and would respond to interference.

More than 280,000 people have signed a parliamentary petition seeking his removal, accusing him of normalizing Trump’s threats to annex Canada.

Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro also warned Canada last month against interfering in the midterms.

“That game is up and if you interfere in our elections in Maine or Michigan, you will pay even more dearly,” Navarro said.

Carney suggested senior U.S. officials had themselves sought to influence Canadian politics. Trump has repeatedly threatened to make Canada the 51st U.S. state .

In January, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called Alberta, where a separatist movement has sought independence, a “natural partner” for the United States.

Asked whether Canada could be blamed for Republican losses in the midterms and face additional tariffs, Carney said he did not expect that.

“There have been a very broad range of justifications for U.S. tariffs, and there’s almost an industry to create justifications for them,” he said.

Carney said Canada was ready to resume trade negotiations immediately if Washington was willing to negotiate in good faith, but would wait months or even until another U.S. administration if necessary to reach an acceptable agreement.

Asked whether a deal could be reached before the Nov. 3 midterms, Carney said, “It’s up to the United States. They’re a little hard to predict.”

“We don’t down tools because the United States is having elections,” he said.

Carney also said Trump was under no illusion about Canada’s sovereignty. “Canada will never be the 51st state,” he said. “We are going our own way.”

Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.