Hoekstra says U.S. is monitoring Canada for possible midterm election interference U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra says American officials are monitoring Canadian political activity ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms and could respond if it amounts to election interference. Canadian officials and former Conservative leader Erin O'Toole reject the accusation. U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra says American officials are monitoring Canadian activity for possible interference in the U.S. midterm elections, warning that the United States will respond if any actions cross that line. U.S. Ambassador Monitors Canadian ActivityHis comments come weeks before the Nov. 3 vote, with the trade dispute between the countries a prominent issue in closely contested states. In an appearance on The Really Big Show podcast, Hoekstra said actions by Canadian politicians, including Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, could be interpreted as interference under the way the United States views its elections. He cited Joly's comments about targeting retaliatory tariffs at politically sensitive states.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. He added that officials are monitoring and evaluating the activity, and that America will respond if any of it becomes election interference. Hoekstra also cited an advertising campaign run by Ontario last year criticizing U.S. tariff policy.The ads used clips of former U.S. president Ronald Reagan speaking against tariffs and supporting free trade, including his argument that tariffs act as a tax on consumers. Hoekstra said the Ontario government's political ads against the U.S. administration were interpreted as political interference, and that Canada had decided to test how far it could go. U.S. President Donald Trump ended trade talks with Canada in October 2025 after the ads aired during the World Series.Joly rejected Hoekstra's suggestion when asked by reporters in Ottawa on Wednesday. She said Canada absolutely does not interfere in American elections and would never do so, adding that Canada would not accept such conduct toward it either. Joly said she has engaged with Democrats and Republicans, but that her work in the United States has fundamentally been to attract investment.Joly Denies Interference ClaimsShe said she expected to have good news about investments by different American companies in Canada, and would continue that strategy in the United States and around the world. The current trade dispute has also prompted Canadian officials to discuss counter-tariffs. When her government announced them, Joly said Canada was being wise and strategic in seeking to apply political pressure, and that it considered the measures the right thing to do at the time.Hoekstra did not mention Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's tour of Michigan and the Detroit area. Poilievre has been making the case for tariff-free trade in the auto sector. A senior source in his office told CTV News that the office notified the Prime Minister's Office in advance of the trip and received no direction or caution against making the visit. Michigan is closely contested and is Hoekstra's home state.Democrats there and elsewhere have linked Trump's trade policies to Americans' higher cost of living and campaigned against the trade war with Canada, though they have not committed to cancelling tariffs outright. In August, Liberal MP Anthony Housefather campaigned in Florida for U.S. Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz during her primary campaign. U.S. officials raised concerns about Housefather's actions in background briefings to Canadian reporters.Former Conservative leader Erin O'Toole, now a member of the Advisory Committee on Canada-U.S. Economic Relations, said Wednesday he disagreed with Hoekstra. He said comments on policy decisions, including tariffs or buying diesel from Russia, should not be conflated with election interference, describing them instead as responses to U.S. foreign policy decisions that he said were bad for global security and the economy.Trade War Shapes Midterm DebatesThe Ontario ads had already triggered a sharp response from Trump, who ended trade talks in October 2025. In August, Prime Minister Mark Carney also ordered Canada's negotiating team to call off renewed trade talks after accusing the United States of making unreasonable demands. The trade war is shaping debate in pivotal states before the midterms. The entire U.S. House of Representatives and one-third of Senate seats are being contested on Nov. 3.Republicans currently hold majorities in both chambers, while polls suggest Democrats could take control of both. Trump has been actively campaigning in battleground states. Republican candidates have also faced pressure over tariffs: the Republican candidate for Michigan's open Senate seat released a 30-second ad criticizing them, while Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins, who has represented the state since 1997, has tried to distance herself from Trump's tariffs.Hoekstra's warning followed comments by White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, who threatened repercussions if Canada interfered in the elections. At an economic conference in Washington last month, Navarro criticized Canada's trade-talk approach and told Canadian lobbyists to get out of the country. Navarro said Canada could not lobby in border states such as Maine and Michigan against the Trump administration's tariffs without paying even more dearly.Debate Over Election Interference ContinuesThe trade dispute has become a pressure point for Republican candidates in both states. Concerns have also been reported about possible American political involvement ahead of next week's Alberta referendum. Separately, Hoekstra's comments have renewed debate over whether Canadian criticism of U.S. policy and trade measures amounts to election interference.