What Canadian Relations Trump Doesn’t Wreck the *Ambassador* Will

Pete Hoekstra was Donald Trump’s choice to be the Ambassador to Canada and if we lose all rapport with our formerly best ally to the north, it will be a combination of Trump’s boorishness and Hoekstra’s. Hoekstra does not believe that a diplomat needs to be diplomatic. He mimics Trump’s harsh tone. Either that, or he is tone deaf and a tone deaf diplomat is something that could only exist in the era of Trump. Take a listen.

US Ambassador to Canada: But let me tell you, I go around the country and people will say, “Pete, you just don’t understand why we’re so mad about the 51st state.” And it’s kind of like, “Yeah, you’re right. I don’t. pic.twitter.com/twgfpNySef

— Acyn (@Acyn) November 27, 2025

Pete Hoekstra, a former Republican Representative from Michigan appointed by President Trump to the important diplomatic post, is gaining notoriety in Canada for speaking bluntly about the poor state of relations between the two nations.

Last month he cornered the Ontario representative to the United States and publicly berated him at a formal function over an ad the province took out featuring an anti-tariff speech by President Ronald Reagan.

And on Wednesday evening, he doubled down on criticism of the ad and dismissed Canadians’ anger at Mr. Trump’s repeated threats to make Canada the 51st state, which is at the heart of the ruptured relationship between the two allies.

In his public appearances, Mr. Hoekstra, one of the founders of the Tea Party caucus, seems to faithfully channel president Trump’s rhetoric on Canada.

Many guests saw the expletive-ridden confrontation with David Paterson, the senior Ontario official, at the event in late October and described it as stunning in its ferocity and inappropriateness. The Times spoke to three people who were there who did not want to be named to discuss a sensitive topic.

The premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, who came up with the idea for the ad and authorized it, called on Mr. Hoekstra to apologize, calling his attack on Ontario’s envoy “absolutely unacceptable” and “unbecoming of an ambassador.”

“Pete, you’ve got to call Dave up and apologize. It’s simple,” Mr. Ford told the news media in response to the incident. The premier was not at the event but was briefed on what had transpired.

The U.S. Embassy in Ottawa declined to comment on Mr. Hoekstra’s statements on Wednesday.

The ad caused a firestorm with Mr. Trump, and then Mr. Hoekstra, saying they viewed it as interference by Ontario in America’s internal affairs. Mr. Trump suspended trade talks after the ad aired and even threatened to hike tariffs on Canadian goods.

Mark Carney went out of his way to defuse the firestorm and apologized for the ad. And then Hoekstra, in true MAGA form, had to bring it up again. Never let anybody tell you that MAGA and the GOP are two different entities. MAGA and old school Republicanism, such as practiced by the likes of Dick and Liz Cheney, are two different things. But the rank and file GOP simply love Trump’s fascist ways. Hoekstra proves that.

And while the Cheneys may have put the Constitution first, don’t think for a moment that the rank and file GOP wouldn’t simply love it if this republic ceased to become a republic and became a dictatorship, just as long as the Republicans were in charge. Democracy may be the most important value to Democrats but it is more and more of a hindrance to today’s Republicans. Power is everything to these people and if Trump could hang onto it somehow, they’d all be happy to help.

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