Trump confronts Canadian PM over wildfires, threatens tariffs over ‘poisoned’ air
President Donald Trump says he confronted Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney over the smoke from the country’s catastrophic wildfires that’s been drifting into the United States — leaving millions of Americans struggling to breathe.
That confrontation happened Sunday as the two world leaders watched the FIFA World Cup Final game. Trump said Sunday evening that he told Carney the fires are “poisoning our air” and suggested Canada should pay damages or face tariffs.
Trump first threatened tariffs last week after multiple U.S. officials raised concerns over the smoke blanketing large swaths of the country. Smoke from the fires has triggered air quality warnings across multiple states, including Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, New York and Indiana.
The wildfires began on July 6 after thunderstorms caused more than 1,000 lightning strikes across Canada, sparking hundreds of fires and causing thousands of acres of woods to catch fire. So far, about 69,000 acres have burned, and the fires continue to spread, with more smoke expected to impact parts of the U.S. this week.
‘You got to stop these fires’
Trump told reporters about the exchange on Sunday after the World Cup Final, where he, Carney and Mexican President Claudia Scheinbaum all attended as representatives of the tournament’s three host nations.
Trump said he has a “good relationship” with Carney and that he had a frank conversation with the Canadian leader.
“I told him, I mean, ‘You got to stop these fires from coming in and, you know, poisoning our air. Our air has been poisoned,’” Trump told reporters.
He added, “If we can help them, we’ll help them. But maybe they should pay some damages or something, or we should do some tariffs.”
It is not clear what authority Trump has to impose tariffs with regard to the wildfire smoke from Canada spreading into the U.S.
Meanwhile, some lawmakers — including Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, and Rep. John James, R-Mich. — introduced legislation that would penalize Canada for failing to prevent or mitigate the wildfires.
Impact on Americans
Last week, Trump accused Canada of “willful negligence” and said he would call Carney to discuss the issue. He claimed a lack of Canadian forest management and debris removal is costing the U.S. billions of dollars.
“It was terrible,” Trump said about the smoke drifting into the U.S. on Sunday. “I mean, you had businesses closing, in particular Michigan.”
He added, “I’ve never remembered this happening. Over the last four or five years you saw it starting to take place. I never remembered it happening before.”
Cities across Michigan were forced to shut down beaches, splash pads, the Red Oaks water park and even indoor pools at one of the hottest times of the year because of the dangerous smoke. Dozens of workers at automaker Ford’s Michigan assembly plant were hospitalized after inhaling toxic wildfire smoke in factories that didn’t have air conditioning, according to The Detroit Free Press.
Canada’s response
Carney countered, saying the U.S. is actively working against clean energy while Canada has been making clean energy investments.
In an update on efforts to fight the fires on Sunday, Carney wrote in a post on social media, “Canada is mobilising more than 5,000 firefighters and nearly 300 waterbombers, helicopters, and evacuation aircraft to contain, control, and mitigate the fires.”
During a press conference on Sunday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, accused the U.S. of having a “very short memory,” referring to Canadian efforts to support California during devastating wildfires in January 2025.
“That’s what neighbours do,” Ford said. “You don’t get on and start threatening and criticizing because guess what? One day, it’s gonna be your turn. And we’re gonna be down there without hesitation to support our neighbours.”
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
