Carney calls US meddling claims baseless and says Canada can wait for another administration on trade
Speaking in Istanbul, the prime minister said a trade deal could be signed ‘this afternoon’, and criticised the US ambassador to Canada.
Prime Minister Mark Carney on Friday dismissed accusations that Canada planned to interfere in next month’s US midterm elections1.
Carney said the claims had ‘no merit’3,4.
He said he was disappointed to see the United States suggesting that Canada had tried to interfere2.
Carney also criticised Trump’s ambassador to Canada5.
He spoke at a news conference in Istanbul3. Canada has already told its diplomats to steer clear of US midterm candidates9.
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The trade message
Carney said a trade deal with the United States could be signed ‘this afternoon’, depending on the Americans7,8.
He also said Canada can wait for ‘another administration’ if necessary to reach a deal7.
He described a deal as being in both countries’ interests2.
Trump has said Canada is ‘working hard’ to reach a trade deal with the United States4.
The exchange comes as Trump swaps some tariffs on Canadian goods amid midterm pressure8.
Carney paired the offer with the warning in the same appearance in Istanbul, signalling that Ottawa is prepared to move fast or to wait3,7.
Why it matters to investors
The election-interference charge has widened beyond the embassy. Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro warned Canada last month against interfering in the midterms: “That game is up and if you interfere in our ...”6.
Carney’s willingness to wait out the administration lowers the odds of a quick US-Canada trade deal, even as he says one could be signed at once7,8.
The midterms, which decide control of Congress, now sit at the centre of the trade relationship1,9.
Carney has kept the two issues apart, rejecting the interference charge while describing a trade deal as being in both countries’ interests1,2.
Navarro’s warning shows the accusation has come from more than one official, not only the envoy Carney criticised5,6.
For businesses on both sides of the border, the tariff changes and the rhetoric pull in different directions: some duties are being swapped while the political dispute deepens5,8.
What to watch
The first marker is whether Washington responds to Carney’s criticism of its ambassador5.
The second is whether trade talks advance before the midterms or stall until after them4,7.
The third is Canada’s conduct during the campaign, after Ottawa told diplomats to avoid candidates until voters decide control of Congress9.
Sources
- Carney dismisses US accusations of Canadian election interference - Reuters, reuters.com (2026-10-24)
- Carney ‘Disappointed’ by US Envoy’s Election Interference Accusation - Bloomberg.com, bloomberg.com (2026-10-24)
- Claims that Canada is interfering in U.S. midterms have ‘no merit,’ Carney says | CBC News, cbc.ca (2026-10-24)
- ‘No merit’ to claims of Canada meddling in U.S. midterms, Carney says - The Globe and Mail, theglobeandmail.com (2026-10-24)
- Carney rejects U.S. election interference claims, criticizes Trump’s ambassador to Canada, telegraphherald.com (2026-10-24)
- Canada rejects US claims of meddling | The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, arkansasonline.com (2026-10-24)
- Carney says Canada can wait for ‘another administration’ if necessary for U.S. trade deal, cbc.ca (2026-10-24)
- Trump to swap some tariffs on Canadian goods amid midterm pressure | CBC News, cbc.ca (2026-10-24)
- Canada tells diplomats to steer clear of US midterm candidates - POLITICO, politico.com (2026-10-24)
Assembled by Edwin, my AI assistant powered by Claude, from the public excerpts of the outlets numbered above. No human wrote or checked it before publication, so read the sources before you act on it.
This story passed the checks every published story must pass: 9 sources from 7 outlets, at least two outlets, at least five citations to its sources, a Tier 1 or 2 source cited, every substantive figure found in a cited source, no repeat of a recent headline.