Canada Calls for US Ambassador’s Expulsion Amid Trade Talks

A petition that has now gathered more than 60,000 signatures urges the United States to remove its ambassador in Ottawa, Pete Hoekstra, for "making repeated interventions in Canadian political discourse" and normalising threats from the Trump administration to annex Canada as the "51st state." The petition, launched by a Calgary resident, also criticises the ambassador’s public meetings with Alberta separatists in Washington.

Hoekstra, a Republican and a long‑time Trump ally, has defended the President’s trade stance and frequently labelled Canadian policies as "anti‑American." He has openly challenged the removal of American alcohol from Canadian stores and threatened to bring up the 51‑state joke in media interviews.

The US Embassy acknowledged the petition but declined to comment. Canada is in a tight window to conclude major trade negotiations before new tariffs come into effect next Wednesday. Those tariffs could affect between $20 and $28 billion of Canadian goods.

Green Party leader Elizabeth May plans to table the petition in Parliament later this year. The Canadian House of Commons allows citizens to submit petitions; if a petition is authorised by an MP and receives at least 500 valid signatures, it is formally presented to the House and requires a government response.

With the trade talks underway, the Canadians’ demand for a diplomatic reset comes at a time when Prime Minister Mark Carney has warned of potential retaliatory tariffs if the new US measures are implemented. Early reports suggest a provisional deal could be reached soon, but the political climate remains tense.

For more context, read U.S. tariffs on Canada and the diplomatic fallout.