By the Chinese Canadian Goto Vote Association
The 2025 Canadian federal election comes at a time of heightened global geopolitical tensions, and the issue of foreign interference has long been part of Canada’s public discourse. However, in a surprising turn of events, the most prominent and controversial case of interference has not come from the usual suspects—China or Russia—but from the current President of the United States, Donald Trump, whose public statements have directly impacted the Canadian political landscape.
With less than six months until the federal election, Trump has repeatedly commented on Canadian politics through social media and public speeches, shaping electoral narratives. These overt and highly provocative interventions warrant serious attention from all sectors of Canadian society.
For example, in late April 2025, as the election drew near, Trump posted a series of social media messages explicitly endorsing the Conservative Party of Canada and launching harsh attacks on Liberal Party candidate Mark Carney, branding him as “an agent of globalists.” In various public events—including a rally in Pennsylvania—Trump urged Canadian voters to “abandon the Liberals and embrace a unified U.S.-Canada future,” even going so far as to call for “removing the border and implementing zero tariffs.”
Such rhetoric goes far beyond mere diplomatic commentary. It amounts to virtual campaigning intended to use personal influence to sway voters in a neighbouring democracy.
According to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the proposed Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act, foreign interference includes:
- Covert, deceptive, or coercive activities aimed at influencing Canada’s political, electoral, or policy direction.
- Manipulation of media narratives, online discourse, political donations, and organizational mobilization to affect voter perception or intentions.
- Direct attempts by foreign officials or politicians to influence Canadian political parties or voter preferences.
While Trump’s conduct may not be covert, the fact that he, as the sitting U.S. President, uses his political platform and social media reach to engage in provocative electoral messaging constitutes what can be described as “personalized overt interference”—a new and dangerous form of foreign influence. Given his stature, the impact on the Canadian election is profound and far-reaching.
In contrast to the significant governmental attention and a $24 million budget allocated to hearings and investigations into alleged Chinese interference, focused primarily on the Chinese community and campaign financing, Trump’s far more public and direct actions have not prompted a comparable official response.
How should Canada respond to this new form of personalized overt interference? We propose the following recommendations:
- Establish a Foreign Interference Monitoring and Disclosure Mechanism: A cross-departmental task force should be created to track statements by foreign officials that may influence Canadian elections and issue public alerts when necessary.
- Legislate to Protect Electoral Sovereignty: Amend the Canada Elections Act to classify social media posts by foreign heads of state that aim to influence Canadian voters as a form of foreign interference. Prohibit political parties from using foreign politicians’ endorsements in campaign messaging. Empower regulators to label and limit the spread of suspect content.
- Strengthen Collaboration with Social Media Platforms: Require platforms like Truth Social, X (formerly Twitter), and Meta to flag foreign political figures’ election-related statements and provide fact-checking in coordination with Canadian authorities.
- Enhance Public Education and Media Literacy: Invest in voter education and media literacy initiatives to help citizens recognize the risks of “personalized manipulation,” even when such opinions come from allied nations.
- Develop a Rapid Diplomatic Response Protocol: In cases of serious interference, Canada should activate a national security-level coordination mechanism to engage in diplomatic protests, and, if necessary, consider entry bans or asset freezes for individuals involved.
Conclusion:
Donald Trump’s actions in the 2025 federal election serve as a wake-up call for Canada: foreign interference is not always driven by hostile states. The most dangerous threats may come under the guise of “friendship” and take the form of open manipulation.
We call on all political parties, social media companies, and Canadian voters to remain vigilant, push for legislative reform, and work together to safeguard Canada’s democracy, which is independent, transparent, and fair.
Disclaimer
Voices & Bridges publishes opinions like this from the community to encourage constructive discussion and debate on important issues. Views represented in the articles are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the views of the V&B.