Trump criticized over 'highly unusual' posts about Canadian provincial election wins

President Donald Trump drew criticism for publicly cheering recent Canadian provincial election results, a gesture that came days after his administration accused Canadian politicians of meddling in American elections. On Truth Social, he congratulated Quebec separatist leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, who won on Oct. 5, and shared a story framing that outcome as damaging to Prime Minister Mark Carney. He also praised British Columbia's premier-designate, Lorne Doerkson, a Conservative, saying the party was gaining strength in Canada, according to The Independent.

Analysts dispute the framing. Carney's federal Liberals are a separate party from British Columbia's Conservatives, and both contests turned on provincial matters. Daniel Béland of McGill University called a president's comments on provincial races highly unusual and said Carney's standing has actually risen because of how he has dealt with Trump. Nelson Wiseman of the University of Toronto pointed out that Doerkson has attacked the tariffs and branded Trump a bully. St-Pierre Plamondon has also opposed the tariffs.

The U.S. Embassy in Ottawa had alleged that Canadian officials were trying to sway the Nov. 3 midterms. Carney said the claims had no merit. Béland warned they could set up a blame-Canada storyline if Republicans lose.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Independent’s reporting. Read the full story at The Independent →