President Trump blamed the Canadian government for the hazardous smoke pouring across the Midwest and Northeast in a Truth Social post on Friday.
“We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their Forests,” he wrote. “The United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable!”
Trump added that he plans to call Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney “to find out what they are going to do about it.”
The president’s criticism centers on his belief that Canada is not doing enough to clear dry brush and excess timber that fuel wildfires in fire-prone areas, a similar rebuke he has directed at California during major fires there.
Canada practices active forest management, which has been shown to reduce the risk and severity of wildfires. But experts say the practice is not enough to stop fires on its own, particularly as extreme heat fueled by climate change becomes more common.
On Thursday, Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno, a Republican, proposed legislation that would grant the president the power to impose financial sanctions on Canada over its forest management practices. That same day, Rep. Tom Barrett, a Republican from Michigan, suggested delaying the opening of a bridge connecting the two countries “until Canada takes responsibility” for controlling the fires.
