Trump Accused Canadian Politicians of Interfering in Congressional Elections, According to Politico

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has accused a number of Canadian politicians of attempting to influence the midterm elections in the United States. The U.S. Embassy in Ottawa outlined the allegations in a press release distributed to journalists on Wednesday.

The unsigned document mentions Canadian Minister of Industry Melanie Joly, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Liberal MP Anthony Hausfather, as well as Bernadette Jordan—a former Liberal Party minister who currently serves as Canada’s Consul General in Boston.

The bulletin claims that Canadian authorities are allegedly ignoring Washington’s concerns about possible interference, even though some Canadian officials openly speak of their intentions to influence U.S. politics.

“The Canadian government is brushing aside concerns about possible interference in the U.S. elections, despite the fact that its ministers and provincial premiers openly describe plans to influence U.S. policy—both in official documents and during public speeches,” the bulletin states.

Donald Trump’s economic adviser Peter Navarro, who serves as senior White House adviser on trade and manufacturing, also recently warned Canadians against interfering in the U.S. midterm elections.

“You’ve been lobbying in this country, and you’ve been successful in the past, so you think you can keep doing the same thing,” Navarro said.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the accusations during a press conference on Wednesday. That same day, Ontario Premier Doug Ford also denied engaging in any interference in the U.S. elections.

Carney said that earlier that day he had spoken with Donald Trump about a wide range of issues, including the situation in Iran.

A few days earlier, the leaders also held a separate phone call during which they discussed Ukraine, the Middle East, and contentious issues in trade relations between the two countries.

Mark Carney recently commented on U.S. concerns regarding possible interference. During a rally in Calgary, held on the eve of Alberta’s referendum on secession from Canada, the premier spoke about the need to reduce the country’s economic dependence on the U.S.

“Be careful. They might think this is interference in the election. They’re a bit vulnerable down there,” Carney noted.

Thus, Washington’s accusations have become yet another episode of tension in U.S.-Canada relations amid disputes over trade, economic dependence, and political influence.

Politico reports this.

Russia launched a covert online influence campaign ahead of the U.S. midterm congressional elections. According to U.S. intelligence, the goal of the operation was to weaken the positions of Democratic and Republican candidates who support Ukraine, as well as to fuel Americans’ distrust of government institutions.

Leading Democrats in the U.S. Congress stated that, following a classified intelligence briefing, they learned of a disinformation campaign which, according to them, the Russian Federation—an aggressor state—is waging against Democrats running in next month’s midterm elections.

Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar stated that she would be forced to move out of her apartment in Washington, D.C., due to threats she received following a search by federal agents.