More than 60,000 Canadians have signed a petition calling for the expulsion of U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra, accusing him of repeatedly wading into Canadian political discourse and normalizing Trump administration talk of annexing Canada as the '51st state.' The petition, launched by a Calgary woman, has cleared the 500-signature threshold required for presentation in the House of Commons and will be tabled by Green Party leader Elizabeth May.
Hoekstra, a Trump ally, has defended the president's tariff policies, reposted Trump's '51st state' comments, called the relationship critical, and hosted a 2022 Freedom Convoy leader at his July Fourth event. He has also criticized provinces for pulling U.S. alcohol from shelves, a sore point in ongoing trade talks.
The U.S. embassy acknowledged awareness of the petition but declined further comment. The dispute unfolds as Canadian negotiators race to avoid a threatened 50% U.S. tariff on up to $28 billion in Canadian goods, with Prime Minister Mark Carney warning retaliation remains on the table.
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