Hoekstra warns about meddling in U.S. politics, doesn't understand why Canadians are mad about the '51st state'
Pete Hoekstra, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, told an audience in Ottawa that he thinks Canada has recently meddled in American politics, but that he also doesn’t understand why Canadians are angry about comments regarding this country becoming his nation’s 51st state.
His remarks came this week at the 2025 National Manufacturing Conference , run by Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME). Hoekstra was one of the speakers at the conference and also took part in what was billed as a fireside chat with Dennis Darby, president and CEO of CME
He opened on a light note, referencing the test of the emergency alert system on cellphones across the country this week.
“This Canadian government,” he said. “It is so nice of them to put out a national emergency that the U.S. ambassador is again speaking. Watch out!”
Later in the discussion, Hoekstra was asked about stalled trade talks between Canada at the U.S. He said talks will “obviously” restart. “The question is when.”
He added: “I’ve got suggestions that I think can get it restarted but it’s not going to be easy.” He then took a look pause before continuing.
“Here, I’ll just get myself in trouble,” he said. “I go around the country and people will say, ‘Pete, you just don’t understand why we’re so mad about the 51st state.’ Yeah, you’re right. I don’t.”
He then flipped the comment to say that Canadians don’t understand anger in his country, and specifically from U.S. President Donald Trump, over recent pro-free-trade advertisements paid for by Ontario and run in U.S. markets.
“No one can ever remember a circumstance where a foreign government came into the United States … targeting the president of the United States and his policies 10 days before an election and a couple of weeks before a Supreme Court case would be heard.”
Hoekstra was referring to a number of state and municipal elections in the U.S. this month, as well as a Supreme Court challenge over Trump’s use of the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose broad global tariffs.
“I’m sorry,” he continued. “That does not happen in the United States of America. You do not come into America and start running political ads — government-funded political ads — and expect that there will be no consequences or reaction from the United States of America and the Trump administration.”
He added: “As far as we can tell, it has never happened in America before. And if Canada wants to insert itself and create a new precedent that you’re going to participate in our electoral politics through advertising targeting the president of the United States and his policies … I would suggest that you seriously consider whether that is the best way to try to achieve your objectives in the United States of America.”
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