Hoekstra Suggests Trump Could Blame Canada Over Midterm Losses

Pete Hoekstra, the US ambassador to Canada, told business leaders in a closed-door meeting that President Donald Trump could blame Canada if Republicans lose a string of swing races in next week's midterm elections, according to a CTV News report cited by The Guardian. The remark, delivered privately, has become public at a moment when Ottawa and Washington are already locked in a tariff dispute that has strained relations between the two countries.

What did Hoekstra tell business leaders?

According to the CTV News account relayed by the Guardian, Hoekstra said that if a number of contested races — including those in Maine and Michigan — swing to Democrats, it could complicate matters for Canada because Trump might look to assign blame to the country for the outcome. Hoekstra made the comments at a private gathering, not in a public briefing, and the remarks surfaced only after CTV News reported them Wednesday.

The ambassador's suggestion lands in the middle of a retaliatory tariff fight. Ottawa has been targeting US goods in states that depend heavily on trade with Canada, a response to what Canadian officials have called illegal US tariffs. Maine and Michigan are among the states exposed to that cross-border trade relationship, which is part of why both are being watched closely heading into the midterms.

Why are Maine and Michigan under scrutiny?

Both states sit near the US-Canada border and have economies tied to cross-border commerce, making them sensitive barometers in the broader tariff dispute. Neither the Guardian's report nor the underlying CTV News account specifies vote margins or polling figures for the two races, and no such numbers are included here because they were not part of the available source material. The significance of the two states, as described in the reporting, is tied to their status as swing contests that could shift control of seats Republicans currently hold.

How did Canada's government respond?

Prime Minister Mark Carney was asked about the allegations by reporters and offered a measured response. "That's an interesting way of framing it," Carney said, according to the Guardian's report.

"That's an interesting way of framing it." — Prime Minister Mark Carney, responding to reporters about Hoekstra's remarks

Carney also addressed the broader trade standoff, saying Canada "will pursue" a deal with Washington if one presents itself, but that Ottawa's negotiators are "not in that position right now," per the same report. He did not elaborate further on Hoekstra's comments about the midterms.

What is Hoekstra's record on US-Canada tensions?

Hoekstra has been a polarizing figure in Canada well before this episode, according to the Guardian. He has previously defended Trump's rhetoric about Canada becoming the 51st US state, telling a Michigan radio station last year that the talk was a "sign of affection" and questioning why Canadians were offended by what he called a "generous offer." He also described Canada's 2025 federal election as "anti-American," the Guardian reported.

A House of Commons petition this year, signed by more than 225,000 Canadians, called for Hoekstra's expulsion, arguing his statements violated diplomatic protocol barring ambassadors from interfering in a host country's internal affairs, according to the Guardian's account. More recently, Hoekstra has accused Canadian officials of interfering in US elections, though the specifics of that allegation were not detailed in the available reporting.

What's driving the broader US-Canada dispute?

The tariff standoff between the two countries has simmered for months. Ottawa's retaliatory measures have focused on goods tied to states with heavy reliance on Canadian trade, a strategy meant to pressure Washington by hitting politically sensitive regions. Hoekstra's remarks about the midterms suggest that dynamic could extend into domestic US politics, with the ambassador framing Canada as a potential scapegoat if Republican-held seats flip.

Neither Hoekstra's office nor the White House is quoted directly responding to the CTV News report in the material reviewed, and the Guardian's story does not indicate whether Trump has personally made such a connection between the midterms and Canada. The claim, as reported, originates with Hoekstra's remarks to business leaders rather than with the president himself.

Key terms

Midterms: US congressional elections held two years into a presidential term, determining control of the House and Senate.

Tariff war: The ongoing exchange of trade penalties between the US and Canada, with Ottawa retaliating against tariffs it has called illegal.

Swing race: A contested election where either party has a realistic chance of winning, often used to describe competitive House or Senate seats.

The dispute over Hoekstra's comments adds another flashpoint to a relationship already tested by tariffs and rhetoric, with both governments offering restrained public responses even as the underlying trade friction continues. Full details of the original CTV News report were not independently reviewed for this article; the account here reflects the Guardian's characterization of that reporting.