Trump congratulates B.C. and Quebec premiers who both oppose his tariffs

Summary

On a single Tuesday, Donald Trump posted two messages on Truth Social about Canadian provincial elections, one minute apart. The first congratulated Lorne Doerkson, B.C.'s new Conservative premier, whose party won 64 of 93 seats, its first provincial win since 1928. The second congratulated Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, whose Parti Québécois won Quebec, and linked to a headline calling the result a blow to Mark Carney.

The video says both leaders have spent this year opposing Trump's tariffs. Plamondon has said he will not call an independence referendum while Trump is in the White House, pointing to tariff uncertainty and economic damage. Doerkson told reporters that Trump is an absolute bully and that Canada will never be the 51st state under his watch. Carney congratulated both premiers, and the video notes his Liberals were on neither ballot.

The posts followed days after the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa accused Canadian politicians of meddling in the U.S. midterms. It cited 11 Canadians charged for illegal voting since 2012, none linked to the Canadian government. It also reports Ambassador Hoekstra's warning that Canada could be blamed if Michigan and Maine fall to the Democrats. The video argues that pressure on Republicans in those states comes from Trump's own tariff policy and candidates, not from Ottawa.

Key points

• Trump posted congratulations to B.C.'s new Conservative premier and Quebec's separatist premier one minute apart on Truth Social.
• The Parti Québécois governs Quebec with 60 seats, four short of a majority.
• B.C. Conservatives won 64 of 93 seats, their first provincial win since 1928.
• B.C. turnout was just over 48%, the lowest in the province's history.
• The U.S. Embassy cited 11 Canadians charged for illegal voting since 2012, none linked to the Canadian government.
• B.C. Conservatives pledge to double natural gas production by 2032.

Questions answered