An online petition calling for the expulsion of U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra has received more than 60,000 signatures from Canadian residents. The petition, which reached the required threshold for a government response on Wednesday morning, accuses the ambassador of interfering in Canadian domestic politics and normalizing rhetoric regarding the potential U.S. annexation of Canada.
Ambassador Hoekstra, a Republican and ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, has served as a vocal proponent of the administration's trade policies. The petition follows several instances of friction between the ambassador and Canadian officials, including his comments suggesting that Canada becoming the "51st state" would be a "great discussion" and his invitation of a 2022 Freedom Convoy leader to an official Fourth of July event.
The U.S. embassy told the BBC it is aware of the petition but declined to provide further comment. Green Party leader Elizabeth May is scheduled to table the petition in the House of Commons later this year. May’s office stated that she is obligated to sponsor citizen petitions regardless of her personal stance on the matter.
A person living in Canada may notice the practical effects of this diplomatic friction through a proposed 50% U.S. tariff on Canadian goods, including cars, dairy, and alcohol, scheduled to take effect next Wednesday. If implemented, these tariffs would likely lead to price changes or availability shifts for these products. Additionally, the diplomatic dispute involves the removal of U.S. alcohol from provincial store shelves, a move that Hoekstra has criticized and which remains a primary point of negotiation in ongoing trade talks.
The petition also draws attention to meetings between U.S. State Department officials and Albertans who support provincial separation, signaling potential knock-on effects for Canadian national unity debates. Prime Minister Mark Carney has stated that Canada is considering retaliatory measures if the U.S. tariffs proceed. Negotiators are currently working to reach an interim deal to avert the tariffs before the Wednesday deadline, which serves as the next major milestone in the resolution of this dispute.