Canada Tells Diplomats to Avoid U.S. Midterm Candidates
- Especially in view of heightened sensitivity, we need to take our obligation of nonpartisanship extremely seriously and take a very risk-averse approach, Global Affairs Canada official Glen Linder...
- Canadian foreign service personnel stationed in the United States were ordered this week to avoid meeting with or attending events featuring candidates running in the 2026 U.S.
- The memo, sent midday Tuesday by Glen Linder, assistant deputy minister for the Americas at Global Affairs Canada, instructs diplomats to ensure their names, positions, and photographs do...
Especially in view of heightened sensitivity, we need to take our obligation of nonpartisanship extremely seriously and take a very risk-averse approach,
Global Affairs Canada official Glen Linder wrote in an internal memo.
Canadian foreign service personnel stationed in the United States were ordered this week to avoid meeting with or attending events featuring candidates running in the 2026 U.S. midterm elections. The directive applies strict limits on diplomats finding themselves in the same physical space as any candidate or elected official involved in the race.
Foreign Service Directive and Nonpartisanship Rules
The memo, sent midday Tuesday by Glen Linder, assistant deputy minister for the Americas at Global Affairs Canada, instructs diplomats to ensure their names, positions, and photographs do not appear in any public communications materials if they happen to share a room with a midterm candidate. According to The Canadian Press, the guidelines mirror protocols enforced during Canadian election cycles, when public servants are expected to avoid contact with elected officials except in exceptional circumstances.
Diplomats may still meet with elected U.S. officials who are not actively running in the midterms if necessary, but those engagements require prior discussion with senior officials. The risk-averse approach arrives amid escalating diplomatic friction over trade policy and accusations of foreign meddling ahead of the Nov. 3, 2026, U.S. polls.
U.S. Embassy Accusations of Political Interference
The diplomatic restrictions coincide with statements from the U.S. embassy in Canada, which released a list of quotes from Canadian politicians that it claims indicate “plans to influence American politics.”
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly appeared five times on the list published by the embassy on Wednesday. The quotes feature remarks regarding retaliatory tariffs and pressure on American businesses, which Joly originally delivered while outlining Canada’s defense against U.S.-imposed tariffs.
Canadian Officials Deny Election Meddling Claims
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford both disputed claims of Canadian interference in the U.S. midterms on Wednesday. Carney defended Ottawa’s trade responses while announcing a $9 billion aid package for domestic workers and families, emphasizing that the United States initiated the trade actions.
Ford similarly distanced himself from the controversy, stating he has “no interest at all” in interfering in American elections and that voters ultimately desire certainty and stability. Joly maintained that her recent travel to the United States focused solely on business investment.
Trade Policy and Future Diplomatic Focus
Janice Charette, Canada’s chief trade negotiator to the United States, addressed the broader economic strategy during an appearance at the Toronto Global Forum on Thursday. She noted that Donald Trump will continue to be president after the midterm elections and that his administration will still drive trade policy regardless of shifts in congressional control.
Americans head to the polls on Nov. 3 for midterm elections that could end Republican control of Congress, while Canadian officials continue monitoring trade tensions across the border.