Trump rips Canada for wildfire smoke, threatens tariffs boost
Smoke from massive wildfires in Canada covers the New York City skyline, reducing visibility and casting an orange haze over the city, July 16, 2026.
Selcuk Acar | Anatolia | Getty Images
President Donald Trump on Friday condemned Canada for wildfires that have engulfed parts of the United States in a smoky haze and said he would add the cost of that pollution to existing tariffs.
Describing the situation as “completely unacceptable”, Trump accused Ottawa of failing to adequately respond to the fires that sent air quality to dangerous levels in major US cities for several days.
The costs of air pollution to the United States “must necessarily be added to the tariffs Canada currently pays,” Trump wrote in a message. Real Social post.
Trump added that he plans to call Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney later Friday “to find out what they’re going to do about it.”
Wildfires have “increased significantly” in recent weeks, especially in Northwestern Ontario, where thousands of people have been forced to evacuate, Carney said in an
As climate scientists warn that human-caused climate change is leading to an increase in wildfires and other extreme weather events, the Trump administration has moved in recent months to dismantle government laboratories that study wildfire smoke and its effects. The New York Times reported.
“The effects of the Canadian wildfires are causing great concern and harm across the United States,” Lee Zeldin, head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said Friday.
Zeldin said the EPA has been in communication with the Canadian administration and will “strongly encourage them to do everything they can to extinguish these fires as quickly as possible.” x post.
The post also led Americans to visit AirNow’s Fire and Smoke map For the latest information.
