Trump praises Quebec separatist leader as trade talks with Canada show signs of life

US president congratulates Paul St-Pierre Plamondon on election victory; White House adviser says negotiations ‘picked up’

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published27 October 2026

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President Donald Trump has applauded Quebec’s new separatist premier, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, escalating tensions with Canada even as a top White House adviser indicated that talks to ease the ongoing trade war are gaining momentum.

Trump on Tuesday congratulated St-Pierre Plamondon, whose centre-left Parti Québécois won 60 of 127 seats in last month’s provincial election, four short of a majority. St-Pierre Plamondon has vowed to hold Quebec’s third referendum on independence but has said it would not happen until after Trump leaves office.

The president also congratulated British Columbia’s premier-designate, Lorne Doerkson, after his Conservative party swung the province rightward. “Conservatives are moving strong in Canada!” Trump wrote on social media. However, Doerkson has rejected suggestions that he is aligned with Trump, as has St-Pierre Plamondon.

The gestures come as the White House pursues a fractious trade dispute with Canada. At a Mississippi campaign stop Monday, Trump said Canada was “charging us massive tariffs” and has “treated us badly.” The U.S. embassy in Canada last week accused Canadian leaders of trying to influence American politics with retaliatory tariffs on politically important products.

Despite the antagonism, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said in a Fox News interview Sunday that negotiations with Canada have “picked up” and are “gathering steam.” Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters Monday that trade talks had intensified slightly since they fell apart in August. Carney has repeatedly emphasised the importance of Canadian unity in the face of what he called unprecedented hostility from the American president.

Trump shared an Irish Times article that framed the Quebec vote as a “blow to Mark Carney” that could “hamper” his “efforts to maintain national unity against Trump.”

The White House last week exempted certain Canadian imports from 50% tariffs after pressure from U.S. Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who has pledged to seek further tariff relief and encourage a broader trade agreement.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

The trade war between the US and Canada affects consumers and businesses on both sides of the border, with tariffs on goods ranging from energy to agriculture.
Trump’s endorsement of separatist politicians could deepen Canada’s internal political divisions and complicate any eventual trade deal.
Midterm elections in the US are pushing some Republican lawmakers to resist tariffs that hurt their home states, creating a potential brake on Trump’s trade agenda.

Background

The US-Canada trade relationship has been strained since Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum in 2018 and later expanded them to other goods. The current round of tensions escalated when Ottawa imposed retaliatory tariffs on politically sensitive US products, prompting the White House to accuse Canada of election interference, a charge Canadian officials deny. Quebec has held two referendums on independence, in 1980 and 1995, both of which failed. St-Pierre Plamondon’s Parti Québécois won the most seats in the October 2026 provincial election but fell short of a majority.

Key Perspectives

President Donald Trump: praised Quebec separatist leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon and has continued to criticise Canada’s tariffs, saying the country has “treated us badly.” Prime Minister Mark Carney: has called for Canadian unity against what he describes as unprecedented hostility from the American president. BC Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson: rejected suggestions that he is aligned with Trump after the president congratulated him on his election win. Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon: has vowed to hold a referendum on Quebec independence but said it will not occur until after Trump leaves office.

What to Watch

Whether Hassett’s positive signals translate into a formal resumption of trade talks and a potential deal.
How Canadian political leaders respond to Trump’s backing of separatist movements, and whether it affects domestic unity.
The impact of US midterm politics on tariff policy, particularly the influence of Republican senators from trade-sensitive states.

Sources

Trump praises Canadian separatists amid delicate trade talks · Axios

Checked

11 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 7 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedTrump praised a Quebec separatist leader as Canada trade talks showed signs of life.Axios: “President Trump applauded Quebec's new separatist premier Tuesday, continuing to jab at Ottawa despite fragile trade talks that seemed to be gaining momentum.”
SupportedThe summary says Trump congratulated Paul St-Pierre Plamondon on his election victory.Axios: “In a brief shoutout Tuesday, the president congratulated Paul St-Pierre Plamondon for his win some three weeks ago.”
SupportedThe summary says a White House adviser reported that negotiations had “picked up”.Axios: “White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said in a Fox interview Sunday that negotiations with Canada have "picked up" and are "gathering steam."”
Partly supportedTrump's praise escalated tensions with Canada.Axios: “President Trump applauded Quebec's new separatist premier Tuesday, continuing to jab at Ottawa despite fragile trade talks that seemed to be gaining momentum.”
Partly supportedThe Parti Québécois won 60 of 127 seats in last month's provincial election, four short of a majority.Axios: “St-Pierre Plamondon's center-left Parti Québécois won 60 of 127 seats, leaving it four short of a majority.”
SupportedSt-Pierre Plamondon vowed to hold Quebec's third independence referendum, but said it would not happen until after Trump leaves office.Axios: “St-Pierre Plamondon has vowed to hold Quebec's third referendum on independence, though he's said it wouldn't happen until after Trump leaves office.”
SupportedTrump congratulated British Columbia premier-designate Lorne Doerkson after his Conservatives swung the province rightward.Axios: “Trump on Tuesday also congratulated British Columbia's premier-designate, Lorne Doerkson, after his Conservatives swung the province rightward.”
SupportedTrump wrote, “Conservatives are moving strong in Canada!”Axios: “"Conservatives are moving strong in Canada!" the president wrote .”
Partly supportedThe U.S. Embassy in Canada accused Canadian leaders of trying to influence American politics with retaliatory tariffs on politically important products.Axios: “The U.S. Embassy in Canada last week accused Canadian leaders of trying to influence American politics with reciprocal tariffs on politically important products and states in the U.S.”
Partly supportedCarney repeatedly emphasised Canadian unity in the face of what he called unprecedented hostility from the American president.Axios: “Prime Minister Mark Carney has emphasized the importance of Canadian unity as the nation faces unprecedented hostility from the American president.”
SupportedThe White House exempted certain Canadian imports from 50% tariffs after pressure from Senator Susan Collins, who pledged to seek further relief and encourage a broader trade agreement.Axios: “Last week, the the White House exempted certain Canadian imports from 50% tariffs following pressure from Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). Collins pledged to seek to seek further tariff relief and encourage a broader trade agreement with Canada.”