Pete Hoekstra, the US ambassador to Canada, has sent a stern warning to Canadian politicians to 'keep their nose out' of American politics ahead of midterms in November. He said American officials are "closely watching" Canadian politicians for signs of election interference ahead of the pivotal midterms next month. During an interview on The Really Big Show podcast posted last week, Pete Hoekstra suggested the actions of several Canadian politicians, including Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, could amount to interference in close American races just weeks before the crucial midterm elections, as per CTV News.
“It appears that some of this, from our perspective, in the way we view our elections, could be inferred to be election interference,” Hoekstra said. “You have Minister Joly saying of course we are going to target tariffs in politically sensitive states.” He said political ads run by the province of Ontario last year could be interpreted as political interference.
Pete Hoekstra's warning to Canadian politicians
Pete Hoekstra’s warning came as Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre toured Michigan and the Detroit area, calling for a tariff-free auto sector between Canada and the United States. A senior source in Poilievre’s office told CTV News that the Prime Minister’s Office had been informed of the trip in advance. However, the office received no “direction or caution” against proceeding with the visit.
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Michigan, Hoekstra’s home state, is a closely contested political battleground. Democrats have been campaigning against tariffs in the state and across the country, linking US President Donald Trump’s trade policies to the rising cost of living faced by Americans.
While Democrats have not pledged to scrap the tariffs outright, many have criticised the trade war with Canada. Hoekstra did not refer directly to Poilievre’s tour. However, US officials have raised concerns about other Canadian politicians during background briefings.
Trump says Canada will end up being '51st state'
US President Donald Trump ended trade talks with Canada in October 2025. Trump's decision came after Ontario aired an ad during the World Series using clips of former US president Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs and supporting free trade. But Trump has not held back from weighing in on Canadian affairs and has time and again criticized Canada and made threatening remarks about its sovereignty. On Wednesday, he reiterated his stance that America's northern neighbour should become the 51st US state.
US President Donald Trump ended trade talks with Canada in October 2025.
"They'll end up being the 51st state because that's the only way it works," Trump said at a rally in Bullhead City, Arizona. At the same rally, Trump also grumbled about Canadian tariffs on milk and made mention of his move to rename Lake Ontario on the US side of the border.
Hoekstra points out to advertising campaign
Hoekstra also pointed to the same advertising campaign run by the Ontario government against U.S. tariff policy last year. “Clearly the actions of the province of Ontario a year ago, in running political ads against our administration are interpreted as political interference. It’s never happened in America before. Canada decided they would test the waters and see how far they could go,” Hoekstra said. Hoekstra’s comments come as concerns linger around reported political involvement by Americans ahead of next week’s Alberta referendum, as reported by the Globe and Mail.
Canadians call for Pete Hoekstra's expulsion
In August this year, more than 100,000 Canadians signed a petition calling for the US ambassador in Ottawa to be expelled for undermining diplomatic relations between the two neighbours. The online petition accuses Pete Hoekstra of "making repeated interventions in Canadian political discourse" and of having "normalised the Trump administration's threats to annex Canada as the '51st state'" of the US.
It requested Ambassador Hoekstra be formally removed from his role, and a parliamentary committee review "US diplomatic interference in Canadian domestic affairs". A Republican and a Trump ally, Hoekstra has been a fierce defender of US President Donald Trump's trade policies, saying they are meant to secure the safety and prosperity of Americans. He has also described the relationship between the two countries critical.