Canadian Petition to Expel Trump’s Ambassador Surges Past 100,000 Signatures

35,000+ smart investors are already getting financial news, market signals, and macro shifts in the economy that could impact their money next with our FREE weekly newsletter. Get ahead of what the crowd finds out too late. Click Here to Subscribe for FREE.

A parliamentary petition calling for U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra to be declared persona non grata has turned into a striking measure of Canadian anger toward Washington. When the House of Commons petitions portal was checked, e-7531 showed 106,946 validated signatures—well past the 100,000 mark and far above the 500 required for an electronic petition to be certified after it closes. The petition does not itself remove an ambassador, but its rapid rise gives Ottawa a politically awkward question at a moment when Canada and the United States are already locked in tense trade negotiations. At the centre of the dispute are Hoekstra’s public remarks about Canada, Donald Trump’s repeated “51st state” rhetoric, and broader concerns about U.S. involvement in Canadian political debates.

A Petition That Went From Thousands to Six Figures in Days

The petition’s speed is almost as notable as its size. Canadian Press reporting on August 11 described it as having more than 29,000 signatures. By August 13, ABC News reported more than 104,000. The official House of Commons portal later showed 106,946 validated signatures, meaning tens of thousands of additional names appeared in roughly two days as national coverage accelerated.

The geographic spread also matters. Ontario accounted for 44,039 signatures, British Columbia 22,398, Alberta 11,752 and Quebec 11,580 when the portal was checked. Every province and territory had recorded support, including 24 signatures from Nunavut and 210 from Yukon. That does not make the petition a scientific measure of national opinion; people choose whether to sign. Still, the scale and distribution show that the backlash is not confined to one city, province or partisan enclave across much of Canada today.

What the Petition Is Actually Asking Ottawa to Do

The petition makes three distinct requests. First, it asks the federal government to formally declare Hoekstra persona non grata and request his removal as U.S. ambassador. Second, it asks Ottawa to raise what the petition describes as conduct inconsistent with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Third, it seeks a parliamentary committee review of alleged U.S. diplomatic interference in Canadian domestic affairs.

Those demands are politically forceful, but the petition is not a binding vote. House rules require an e-petition to finish its signing period and receive at least 500 valid signatures before the Clerk of Petitions can certify it. Once it is presented to the House, the government must provide a formal response within 45 calendar days. E-7531 opened July 21 and is scheduled to remain open until November 18, so the immediate effect is pressure and public attention rather than an automatic diplomatic action by itself.

The “51st State” Remarks Became a Flashpoint

A major source of the anger is the way annexation rhetoric has moved from Trump’s social-media posts into the work of his ambassador. The petition says Hoekstra normalized threats to make Canada the “51st state,” including by treating the phrase as a term of endearment. In June, after being asked whether Canada was effectively another American state, Hoekstra said that was a discussion for Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney.

The controversy sharpened when Hoekstra amplified another Trump post referring to Canada as the 51st state after Canadian economic data showed a technical recession. Carney rejected calls to expel the ambassador at that time, while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called Trump’s suggestion ridiculous and said it would never happen. For many petition supporters, the issue is less a single remark than the repeated use of sovereignty itself as a political talking point across Canadian politics today.

Hoekstra’s Own Record Complicates the Story

Hoekstra’s background makes the dispute more complicated than a clash with an inexperienced envoy. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan, chaired the House Intelligence Committee, and was previously U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands. The Senate confirmed him as ambassador to Canada in April 2025 by a 60-37 vote, with support extending beyond Republicans.

His confirmation hearing also produced one of the clearest contrasts with the later controversy. Asked whether Canada was a sovereign state, Hoekstra answered yes. Reuters reported that he adopted a conciliatory tone and emphasized the depth of Michigan’s ties with Canada. Since taking the Ottawa post, however, he has publicly criticized Canadian political rhetoric, including what he described as an anti-American tone during the 2025 election period. Hoekstra has defended his approach by saying an ambassador’s job includes presenting the U.S. president’s views in public and private diplomacy.

Alberta Separatism Adds a More Serious Sovereignty Question

The petition goes beyond rhetoric about tariffs and annexation. It also raises questions about Alberta separatism, pointing to a Michigan-based voter-identification application used by the Centurion Project and to meetings between the Alberta Prosperity Project and U.S. officials. Those claims require careful separation: the petition alleges a connection involving Hoekstra, but that is not the same as proof that he directed or supported separatist organizing.

There are independently verified reasons the subject is sensitive. Reuters and the Financial Times reported that Alberta Prosperity Project representatives met State Department officials three times beginning in 2025, while U.S. officials characterized such contacts as routine civil-society meetings without commitments. Separately, Alberta’s privacy commissioner opened an investigation into the Centurion Project over alleged collection, use and disclosure of information derived from the provincial voters list. Elections Alberta described the unauthorized use of data involving roughly 2.9 million electors as extremely serious.

What Persona Non Grata Would Mean in Practice

“Persona non grata” sounds dramatic because it is one of diplomacy’s strongest formal tools, but its legal mechanics are precise. Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations allows a receiving state to notify the sending state, at any time and without explaining its decision, that the head of a mission or another diplomat is no longer acceptable.

The sending state is then expected to recall the diplomat or terminate that person’s functions. If it refuses or fails to act within a reasonable period, the receiving state may stop recognizing the individual as a member of the diplomatic mission. Canada has used the tool before. In May 2023, Ottawa declared Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei persona non grata over allegations of interference in Canadian politics, prompting a reciprocal Chinese expulsion of a Canadian diplomat. Using the same mechanism against Washington’s top envoy, however, would carry much larger bilateral consequences today.

Carney Has Already Signalled Reluctance to Expel Him

The biggest obstacle for petition organizers is that Carney has already indicated he does not want to take that step. In early June, after Hoekstra shared Trump’s latest 51st-state post, the prime minister was asked whether Canada should tell the ambassador to leave. Carney said no and stressed that Ottawa has to work with the U.S. administration because the relationship spans trade, security and many other areas.

That position does not prevent the government from criticizing Hoekstra, demanding explanations or responding sharply to future comments. It does show why a six-figure petition does not translate automatically into expulsion. Governments often separate public displeasure from the practical need to keep diplomatic channels open. In this case, the ambassador is also a direct representative of a president with whom Canada is negotiating tariffs and the future architecture of North American trade, making any decision about his status unusually consequential in practice.

The Trade War Makes Every Diplomatic Gesture More Expensive

The petition is surging while the bilateral economic relationship is under another immediate deadline. The White House has announced additional 50% tariffs on a range of Canadian products, including categories such as wine, cement and hockey equipment, with measures scheduled to take effect August 19. Reuters has estimated the targeted trade at roughly US$20 billion, while negotiations continue over whether Washington will soften the measures.

That backdrop helps explain why Ottawa may view expelling Hoekstra differently from rebuking him. An ambassador can be a source of friction and still be a working channel during a trade crisis. Canadian officials were in Washington this month for detailed negotiations, and Reuters reported on August 12 that Ottawa was unhappy with the latest U.S. tariff-relief offer. The diplomatic dispute therefore sits beside a commercial one with immediate consequences for exporters, factories, farmers, retailers and cross-border supply chains on both sides today.

What Happens Next—and Why the Petition Still Matters

For now, the petition’s next formal milestone is not expulsion but closure and certification. It remains open until November 18. After the signing period ends, the Clerk of Petitions validates the final count; the page shows far more than the 500 signatures required for certification, clearing that numerical threshold by a wide margin. Once presented in the House, the government will owe a written response within 45 calendar days.

That response will matter even if Ottawa rejects the central demand. It will force the government to state, on the parliamentary record, how it views Hoekstra’s conduct and the broader allegation of U.S. interference. The petition has already accomplished something politically significant by converting scattered frustration into a measurable parliamentary action. Whether it changes diplomatic policy is uncertain, but crossing 100,000 signatures ensures that the dispute is harder for either capital to dismiss as a passing social-media controversy soon.

This Options Discord Chat is The Real Deal

While the internet is scoured with trading chat rooms, many of which even charge upwards of thousands of dollars to join, this smaller options trading discord chatroom is the real deal and actually providing valuable trade setups, education, and community without the noise and spam of the larger more expensive rooms. With a incredibly low-cost monthly fee, Options Trading Club (click here to see their reviews) requires an application to join ensuring that every member is dedicated and serious about taking their trading to the next level. If you are looking for a change in your trading strategies, then click here to apply for a membership.