“When wildfires hit America, Canada sends firefighters,” said one journalist. “When wildfires hit Canada, America sends tariffs.”
Smoke from massive wildfires in Canada engulfed the New York City skyline on July 16, 2026.
(Photo by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Jessica Corbett
Jul 17, 2026
COMMON DREAMS
A day after a Republican senator pledged to introduce legislation sanctioning Canada for the wildfire smoke impacting various US communities this week, President Donald Trump on Friday threatened the United States’ northern neighbor with new tariffs.
“We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their Forests, and Brush therein, and the United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “I will call the Prime Minister during the day to find out what they are going to do about it.”
Out-of-Control Canadian Wildfires Prompt Calls for ‘Nuremberg Trials for Big Oil’
“The cost is incalculable! Canada has refused to engage in basic Forest Management and Debris Removal, knowing that such refusal will lead to exactly this result,” Trump continued. “This is Willful Negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States Billions of Dollars, which cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying.”
Melanie D’Arrigo, a campaigner for single-payer healthcare in the United States, responded, “So can Canada hold US oil companies, their lobbyists, and the congresspeople they bribe for the climate crisis that increases droughts and the risk of these wildfires?”
“When Trump talks about increasing tariffs on Canada, he’s talking about Americans paying more for the things they need—because the increased costs are paid by American consumers,” she also stressed.
According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, when asked for a comment on Trump’s post, a spokesperson for Canada’s Embassy in Washington, DC only said Ambassador Mark Wiseman has “engaged directly with key administration and Hill officials regarding the wildfire emergency in Canada, our efforts to address it, and the impact of wildfire smoke on Canada and the US.”
CBC noted that a day earlier, four Michigan Republicans in the US House of Representatives had made similar statements in a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, who didn’t address the missive when asked about it, but told reporters in French that “climate change is everyone’s responsibility—truly everyone’s—including the United States.”
Big Oil-backed Trump has notably rejected scientific conclusions about the fossil fuel-driven climate emergency on the world stage and, throughout both terms, made various policy decisions that serve industry polluters—even as his own government continues to publish climate science.
While Carney has publicly embraced climate science, the Liberal leader has also recently faced criticism for “pouring fuel on the flames of the climate emergency” by “expanding tar sands and the fracked gas industry.”
Meanwhile, the fires raging across Canada—and prompting air quality alerts across the US Midwest and Northwest—have spurred calls for “Nuremberg trials for Big Oil,” given that the burning of fossil fuels has made the blazes more extreme and frequent.
Despite the science, Republicans on Capitol Hill seem hell-bent on strictly blaming Canadian forest management. Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), a key ally of Trump and the fossil fuel industry, said Thursday on the social media platform X that “I’ll be introducing a bill next week to sanction Canada and the responsible Canadian government officials for this atrocity.”
Replying to the post, climate reporter Kate Aronoff wrote that a “major function of this site during climate-fueled disasters now is providing a space for right-wingers to beta test increasingly insane talking points for avoiding the obvious.”
More Perfect Union producer Jordan Zakarin also fired back on X, writing, “The United States sanctioning another country, much less Canada, for pollution and environmental destruction is the stuff of bad satire.”
Fossil Free Media director Jamie Henn said, “How about sanctioning the companies fueling the climate crisis that’s making these fires more frequent and intense?”
Democrats in Washington, DC “should introduce a Make Polluters Pay bill that taxes oil and gas companies’ record profits and uses the revenue for wildfire relief, air purifiers, and all the adaptations we need to... deal with these climate disasters they helped create,” he proposed.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont Independent who caucuses with Democrats, also took aim at Republican climate lies in a lengthy social media post on Thursday, noting that “in both the United States and Canada, this heat and drought is driving longer and more intense wildfire seasons, including the more than 800 wildfires across Canada and northern Minnesota that are currently causing dangerous levels of air pollution for at least 115 million people across 20 states.”
“NO, Mr. President: Climate change is not a hoax. It is reality. And your ignorance is putting our kids and grandkids at risk in exchange for the short-term profit of your billionaire friends in Big Oil,” Sanders said. “Our job: Reject President Trump’s lies and take on the crisis of climate change and the greed of the fossil fuel industry by transitioning our energy system to energy efficiency and sustainable forms of power. When we do that, we cut carbon emissions, reduce energy bills, and create millions of good union jobs.”
Cassidy DiPaola, communications director for the Make Polluters Pay campaign, charged that “blaming Canada for these wildfires is like blaming a homeowner when an arsonist sets their house on fire. Canada is choking on the same smoke we are, and sanctioning our closest ally doesn’t clear a single acre of burned forest or stop the next fire from starting.”
“If Republicans actually wanted to hold someone responsible, they’d go after the fossil fuel companies whose executives knew what their products were doing to the planet and buried the science anyway,” she argued. “Instead, Congress is moving in the opposite direction, weighing legislation that would grant the fossil fuel industry total immunity from climate liability. And if Republicans wanted policies that actually protect their constituents’ health, they’d support climate superfund bills that fund public health programs, help wildfire survivors rebuild, and prepare communities for the risks still ahead.”
Moreno’s bill, she added, “is a shameless attempt to make sure the blame lands anywhere but on the fossil fuel industry, and everyday Americans will pay the price for that misdirection while the companies that caused this crisis walk away untouched.”
Canadian premier calls Trump’s threat to add wildfire pollution costs to tariffs ‘unacceptable’
Molly English, Sydney Bishop,
Molly English, Sydney Bishop,
CNN
Sat, July 18, 2026
National Guardsmen patrol the Lincoln Memorial as the sun, obscured by wildfire smoke, rises above the Washington Monument and the Reflecting Pool, in Washington, DC, on Friday. - Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
The leader of Canada's Ontario province on Saturday lashed out at President Donald Trump over his threat to add "the cost of pollution" from that country's wildfires to US tariffs.
Trump said Friday that he's holding Canada responsible for wildfire smoke hovering over much of the Midwest and the eastern United States and vowed to call Prime Minister Mark Carney "to find out what they are doing about it." He suggested that the cost of dealing with pollution from the fires that continued to blanket large swaths of the US on Saturday could be added to the tariffs that Canada is already paying.
"We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their Forests, and Brush therein, and the United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable!" Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
On Saturday, Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, where there are 191 active wildfires, expressed frustration with Trump's comments. He noted that Canadian rescue workers helped fight wildfires in Southern California last year.
"I find it a shame the administration in the US and Congress people (are) writing these letters and blaming us," Ford said during a news conference. "They have a very short, short memory. We had the water bombers, everyone ready, going over to California. It was last year."
"That's what neighbors do, right? You don't get on and start threatening and criticizing, because, guess what? One day, it's going to be your turn," he continued. "And we're going to be down there without hesitation to support our neighbors."
More than 100 million people in 18 states and the District of Columbia have been under air quality alerts. "Very unhealthy" and "hazardous" air quality stretches from northeast Minnesota to southeast Virginia.
"This is Willful Negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States Billions of Dollars, which cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying," he added.
Tensions are already thick between the two countries.
After the Supreme Court ruled that Trump could not use emergency powers to levy tariffs, the president has resorted to using other statutes that require investigations and public comment periods. Although that has slowed the tariff process, the administration has committed to getting America's effective tariff rate back to where it was earlier this year before the Supreme Court's consequential ruling.
Canada, however, has long been a thorn in Trump's side, and Trump has saved some of his highest tariffs for America's northern neighbor. He has accused the country of unfair lumber trade and stealing US auto jobs. Despite Trump's particular animosity toward Canada, the country has been largely insulated by the USMCA trade pact that Trump himself negotiated in his first term. That exempted thousands of goods that otherwise would have been subject to some of the highest tariffs the administration charged.
The Trump administration, however, declined to renew USMCA in its current form earlier this month.
Ford said on Saturday that "Americans love Canadians" and "Canadians love Americans." But, he added, Trump's comments were "absolutely unacceptable."
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has called Ford, offering Ontario assistance with the wildfires, he said. Ford said he also spoke to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, but state officials there have "their hands full."
CNN's David Goldman contributed to this report.
Sat, July 18, 2026
National Guardsmen patrol the Lincoln Memorial as the sun, obscured by wildfire smoke, rises above the Washington Monument and the Reflecting Pool, in Washington, DC, on Friday. - Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
The leader of Canada's Ontario province on Saturday lashed out at President Donald Trump over his threat to add "the cost of pollution" from that country's wildfires to US tariffs.
Trump said Friday that he's holding Canada responsible for wildfire smoke hovering over much of the Midwest and the eastern United States and vowed to call Prime Minister Mark Carney "to find out what they are doing about it." He suggested that the cost of dealing with pollution from the fires that continued to blanket large swaths of the US on Saturday could be added to the tariffs that Canada is already paying.
"We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their Forests, and Brush therein, and the United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable!" Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
On Saturday, Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, where there are 191 active wildfires, expressed frustration with Trump's comments. He noted that Canadian rescue workers helped fight wildfires in Southern California last year.
"I find it a shame the administration in the US and Congress people (are) writing these letters and blaming us," Ford said during a news conference. "They have a very short, short memory. We had the water bombers, everyone ready, going over to California. It was last year."
"That's what neighbors do, right? You don't get on and start threatening and criticizing, because, guess what? One day, it's going to be your turn," he continued. "And we're going to be down there without hesitation to support our neighbors."
More than 100 million people in 18 states and the District of Columbia have been under air quality alerts. "Very unhealthy" and "hazardous" air quality stretches from northeast Minnesota to southeast Virginia.
"This is Willful Negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States Billions of Dollars, which cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying," he added.
Tensions are already thick between the two countries.
After the Supreme Court ruled that Trump could not use emergency powers to levy tariffs, the president has resorted to using other statutes that require investigations and public comment periods. Although that has slowed the tariff process, the administration has committed to getting America's effective tariff rate back to where it was earlier this year before the Supreme Court's consequential ruling.
Canada, however, has long been a thorn in Trump's side, and Trump has saved some of his highest tariffs for America's northern neighbor. He has accused the country of unfair lumber trade and stealing US auto jobs. Despite Trump's particular animosity toward Canada, the country has been largely insulated by the USMCA trade pact that Trump himself negotiated in his first term. That exempted thousands of goods that otherwise would have been subject to some of the highest tariffs the administration charged.
The Trump administration, however, declined to renew USMCA in its current form earlier this month.
Ford said on Saturday that "Americans love Canadians" and "Canadians love Americans." But, he added, Trump's comments were "absolutely unacceptable."
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has called Ford, offering Ontario assistance with the wildfires, he said. Ford said he also spoke to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, but state officials there have "their hands full."
CNN's David Goldman contributed to this report.
We’re Choking on Smoke—Where Do We Go From Here?
Everyone needs to consider spending at least some time every year doing what they can to improve the climate or soon events like this week’s convergence of bad global warming outcomes will become both commonplace and unstoppable.
Yellow sky is seen over Boston on July 15, 2026.
(Photo by Jason Pramas)
Jason Pramas
Jul 18, 2026
Everyone needs to consider spending at least some time every year doing what they can to improve the climate or soon events like this week’s convergence of bad global warming outcomes will become both commonplace and unstoppable.
Yellow sky is seen over Boston on July 15, 2026.
(Photo by Jason Pramas)
Jason Pramas
Jul 18, 2026
Common Dreams
Many older environmentalists, myself included, have been trying to warn our fellow human beings about the danger of global warming since the 1980s.
Back then, there were fewer signs that what the vast majority of climate scientists were already saying about the then-looming crisis would come true.
Over the years, we’d be more likely than people around us to worry about summers getting hotter than they had been in our childhood. Or storms getting more intense. Or getting less rain where there used to be more and more rain where there used to be less. And so on. But the real dangers were still in the future, and many people have trouble processing dangers that are not in the present, we understood.
And we did what we could for 40 years.
We have a Republican administration, working more directly for the fossil fuel industry and other related destructive and antiquated industries than any other to date, that seems determined to do as much damage to the planet as it possibly can while in power.
And it wasn’t enough.
And now global warming is definitely here. And it’s gotten so bad so fast that this week many of us on the East Coast were treated to two major manifestations of the climate crisis that is upon us like a wolf burying its fangs in our collective neck: Another of the increasingly frequent “heat domes” that translate to increasingly horrendous heatwaves plus terrible smoke from wildfires in Ontario.
And the smoke was so bad that it actually mitigated the heatwave. Something so messed up that few of us who aren’t, say, trained geophysicists have ever conceived that such a thing could happen outside of a major volcanic eruption in our hemisphere… like the big one in Iceland in 2010.
So where do we go from here? Well, things aren’t looking good.
We have a Republican administration, working more directly for the fossil fuel industry and other related destructive and antiquated industries than any other to date, that seems determined to do as much damage to the planet as it possibly can while in power. We have a Democratic Party that is better on global warming, but not that much better, hoping to retake the federal government. We have other political forces more committed to bringing the “drill baby drill, burn baby burn” crowds to heel—like the Green Party and Democratic Socialists of America. But they remain very small relative to the population (outside of DSA’s impressive base in New York City thus far) and hemmed in on every side by the major parties. And most of the largest environmental organizations have simply run out of steam.
Major advances in several areas of science and technology are likely sufficient to allow humanity to at least blunt the worst effects of global warming. And some countries are funding such research and working to meet self-imposed climate targets. But most are not, least of all the United States. Which “is the second-highest climate polluting country, responsible for around 12% of global emissions,” according to Yale Climate Connections. The highest being China, a nation that is also doing much more to remediate global warming than the US. Nor is the best science useful if it’s not deployed. Even as the pollution responsible for warming continues to get worse year by year.
Do I know some magic path out of this morass? No. But I will tell you this: Everyone needs to consider spending at least some time every year doing what they can to improve the climate or soon events like this week’s convergence of bad global warming outcomes will become both commonplace and unstoppable.
Just like all of us environmentalists have been saying all along. In the public interest. Not for personal gain. Unlike what the climate scofflaws profiting from the destruction of human civilization have all-too-successfully propagandized far too many Americans into believing.
Mull that over while you wait for the smoke to clear and heat to subside… until the next “smokewave” and the next heatwave.
And the next and the next and the next and the next…
The original version of this article ran on July 17, 2026 at BINJ.News.
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Jason Pramas
Jason Pramas is executive director of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism and editor-in-chief of BINJ.News.
Full Bio >
Many older environmentalists, myself included, have been trying to warn our fellow human beings about the danger of global warming since the 1980s.
Back then, there were fewer signs that what the vast majority of climate scientists were already saying about the then-looming crisis would come true.
Over the years, we’d be more likely than people around us to worry about summers getting hotter than they had been in our childhood. Or storms getting more intense. Or getting less rain where there used to be more and more rain where there used to be less. And so on. But the real dangers were still in the future, and many people have trouble processing dangers that are not in the present, we understood.
And we did what we could for 40 years.
We have a Republican administration, working more directly for the fossil fuel industry and other related destructive and antiquated industries than any other to date, that seems determined to do as much damage to the planet as it possibly can while in power.
And it wasn’t enough.
And now global warming is definitely here. And it’s gotten so bad so fast that this week many of us on the East Coast were treated to two major manifestations of the climate crisis that is upon us like a wolf burying its fangs in our collective neck: Another of the increasingly frequent “heat domes” that translate to increasingly horrendous heatwaves plus terrible smoke from wildfires in Ontario.
And the smoke was so bad that it actually mitigated the heatwave. Something so messed up that few of us who aren’t, say, trained geophysicists have ever conceived that such a thing could happen outside of a major volcanic eruption in our hemisphere… like the big one in Iceland in 2010.
So where do we go from here? Well, things aren’t looking good.
We have a Republican administration, working more directly for the fossil fuel industry and other related destructive and antiquated industries than any other to date, that seems determined to do as much damage to the planet as it possibly can while in power. We have a Democratic Party that is better on global warming, but not that much better, hoping to retake the federal government. We have other political forces more committed to bringing the “drill baby drill, burn baby burn” crowds to heel—like the Green Party and Democratic Socialists of America. But they remain very small relative to the population (outside of DSA’s impressive base in New York City thus far) and hemmed in on every side by the major parties. And most of the largest environmental organizations have simply run out of steam.
Major advances in several areas of science and technology are likely sufficient to allow humanity to at least blunt the worst effects of global warming. And some countries are funding such research and working to meet self-imposed climate targets. But most are not, least of all the United States. Which “is the second-highest climate polluting country, responsible for around 12% of global emissions,” according to Yale Climate Connections. The highest being China, a nation that is also doing much more to remediate global warming than the US. Nor is the best science useful if it’s not deployed. Even as the pollution responsible for warming continues to get worse year by year.
Do I know some magic path out of this morass? No. But I will tell you this: Everyone needs to consider spending at least some time every year doing what they can to improve the climate or soon events like this week’s convergence of bad global warming outcomes will become both commonplace and unstoppable.
Just like all of us environmentalists have been saying all along. In the public interest. Not for personal gain. Unlike what the climate scofflaws profiting from the destruction of human civilization have all-too-successfully propagandized far too many Americans into believing.
Mull that over while you wait for the smoke to clear and heat to subside… until the next “smokewave” and the next heatwave.
And the next and the next and the next and the next…
The original version of this article ran on July 17, 2026 at BINJ.News.
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Jason Pramas
Jason Pramas is executive director of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism and editor-in-chief of BINJ.News.
Full Bio >
Threats fly as Trump loses it over wildfire smoke 'invading' US skies
Nicole Charky-Chami
July 17, 2026
RAW STORY
Donald Trump holds a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
President Donald Trump was furious with Canada on Friday as wildfires and smoke prompted major air quality concerns for the Midwest and Northeast.
Trump dropped threats in a post on his Truth Social platform.
"We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their Forests, and Brush therein, and the United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable!" Trump wrote.
He said he planned to call Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to "find out what they are going to do about it."
"The cost is incalculable! Canada has refused to engage in basic Forest Management and Debris Removal, knowing that such refusal will lead to exactly this result," Trump wrote. "This is Willful Negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States Billions of Dollars, which cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"
Trump wasn't the only Republican leader to lob frustration at America's northern neighbor.
Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) took to X Thursday to complain about poor air quality as more than 890 fires burned across Canada. Her frustration was met with backlash, as critics online pointed out how Canada had offered the United States help in January 2025 as wildfires ravaged southern California.
Nicole Charky-Chami
July 17, 2026
RAW STORY
Donald Trump holds a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
President Donald Trump was furious with Canada on Friday as wildfires and smoke prompted major air quality concerns for the Midwest and Northeast.
Trump dropped threats in a post on his Truth Social platform.
"We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their Forests, and Brush therein, and the United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable!" Trump wrote.
He said he planned to call Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to "find out what they are going to do about it."
"The cost is incalculable! Canada has refused to engage in basic Forest Management and Debris Removal, knowing that such refusal will lead to exactly this result," Trump wrote. "This is Willful Negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States Billions of Dollars, which cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"
Trump wasn't the only Republican leader to lob frustration at America's northern neighbor.
Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) took to X Thursday to complain about poor air quality as more than 890 fires burned across Canada. Her frustration was met with backlash, as critics online pointed out how Canada had offered the United States help in January 2025 as wildfires ravaged southern California.
'We exist in hell': Trump's 'unforgivable' threats against US neighbor spark outrage
Bennito L. Kelty
July 17, 2026
RAW STORY
Trump's tariff threats against Canada because of its wildfires drew online outrage as critics jumped to the neighboring country's defense.
On Friday, Trump went after Canada in a Truth Social post because of smoke from its wildfires, which he said is "costing the United States Billions of Dollars." He warned that the "cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying."
Trump's attack drew swift condemnation on social media.
"Such a neighborly thing to do," reacted Democratic strategist Leslie Marshall.
"America's mad king is now threatening Canada with additional tariffs because of the wildfire smoke," Canadian journalist Geoffrey P. Johnston wrote. "America is kicking us when we are down. This is unforgivable. Canada & USA will never be friends again after this. Too many Americans are going along with Trump's insanity."
"He is such a d— embarrassment!" national opinion columnist Sophia A. Nelson described Trump.
"Trump is a climate science denier," writer Matthew Todd pointed out. "He's aggressively heating the planet - and then blaming Canada. This is all so intolerable. How are we meant to exist in this hell?"
"Man you gotta be kidding me," reporter Mike Freeman reacted.
The popular account Republicans against Trump pointed out, "higher tariffs on Canadian goods mean higher prices for American consumers."
Others pointed out that Canada has sent firefighters to the U.S. to help combat wildfires. MeidasTouch, a political news network, noted, "When fires ravaged Southern California, Canada sent firefighting crews to help battle the blazes."
"When wildfires hit America, Canada sends firefighters," wrote journalist Aaron Parnas. "When wildfires hit Canada, America sends tariffs."
Bennito L. Kelty
July 17, 2026
RAW STORY
Trump's tariff threats against Canada because of its wildfires drew online outrage as critics jumped to the neighboring country's defense.
On Friday, Trump went after Canada in a Truth Social post because of smoke from its wildfires, which he said is "costing the United States Billions of Dollars." He warned that the "cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying."
Trump's attack drew swift condemnation on social media.
"Such a neighborly thing to do," reacted Democratic strategist Leslie Marshall.
"America's mad king is now threatening Canada with additional tariffs because of the wildfire smoke," Canadian journalist Geoffrey P. Johnston wrote. "America is kicking us when we are down. This is unforgivable. Canada & USA will never be friends again after this. Too many Americans are going along with Trump's insanity."
"He is such a d— embarrassment!" national opinion columnist Sophia A. Nelson described Trump.
"Trump is a climate science denier," writer Matthew Todd pointed out. "He's aggressively heating the planet - and then blaming Canada. This is all so intolerable. How are we meant to exist in this hell?"
"Man you gotta be kidding me," reporter Mike Freeman reacted.
The popular account Republicans against Trump pointed out, "higher tariffs on Canadian goods mean higher prices for American consumers."
Others pointed out that Canada has sent firefighters to the U.S. to help combat wildfires. MeidasTouch, a political news network, noted, "When fires ravaged Southern California, Canada sent firefighting crews to help battle the blazes."
"When wildfires hit America, Canada sends firefighters," wrote journalist Aaron Parnas. "When wildfires hit Canada, America sends tariffs."
MAGA lawmaker's wildfire threat gets brutal fact-check: 'Idiotic self-centered comment'
Nicole Charky-Chami
July 17, 2026
Nicole Charky-Chami
July 17, 2026
RAW STORY
House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain (R-MI), next to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), addresses reporters on the day of a House Republican Conference meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on July 14, 2026. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno
A Republican lawmaker was called out on Friday for her remarks about Canada's wildfires and smoke — comments critics said overlooked Canada's help fighting California's own fires, the Daily Beast was first to report.
Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) took to X Thursday to complain about poor air quality as more than 890 fires burned across the Canada and smoke hit the Midwest and Northeast.
“Michiganders shouldn’t have to breathe Canada’s negligence,” she wrote on X. “YEAR AFTER YEAR the smoke crosses the border while Canada does nothing. Stop exporting your smoke into our skies. Enough is enough!”
This comment stands in stark contrast to that made by the Canadian government in January 2025 as wildfires ravaged southern California.
"The Government of Canada and all Canadians express their deep sadness at the devastating wildfires currently impacting southern California," the statement read.
"Team Canada stands ready to reciprocate that support during this time of need.... We have left no stone unturned and are exploring all avenues to offer our support to the people of California."
Social media users were quick to make the MAGA congresswoman aware of this point.
"The most idiotic self centered comment," Dave Mac, a member of the Directors Guild of Canada, wrote on X. "When California was burning who was there ? CANADA "
His comment had nearly 4,000 likes on the platform as of Friday morning.
Other users echoed this comment and mentioned the hypocrisy.
User AJ Punk, a political commentator, struck a sarcastic tone when he wrote on X, "How dare Canada burn their country down and ruin America's summer!"
Progressive commentator David Ro wrote, "When Michigan and Ontario were hit with disastrous Tornados and storms that came From the U.S. mid West. Canada did not complain or threaten the U.S. Instead they sent hundreds of hydro crews to Michigan to get the lights back on. That’s what friends do."
House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain (R-MI), next to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), addresses reporters on the day of a House Republican Conference meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on July 14, 2026. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno
A Republican lawmaker was called out on Friday for her remarks about Canada's wildfires and smoke — comments critics said overlooked Canada's help fighting California's own fires, the Daily Beast was first to report.
Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) took to X Thursday to complain about poor air quality as more than 890 fires burned across the Canada and smoke hit the Midwest and Northeast.
“Michiganders shouldn’t have to breathe Canada’s negligence,” she wrote on X. “YEAR AFTER YEAR the smoke crosses the border while Canada does nothing. Stop exporting your smoke into our skies. Enough is enough!”
This comment stands in stark contrast to that made by the Canadian government in January 2025 as wildfires ravaged southern California.
"The Government of Canada and all Canadians express their deep sadness at the devastating wildfires currently impacting southern California," the statement read.
"Team Canada stands ready to reciprocate that support during this time of need.... We have left no stone unturned and are exploring all avenues to offer our support to the people of California."
Social media users were quick to make the MAGA congresswoman aware of this point.
"The most idiotic self centered comment," Dave Mac, a member of the Directors Guild of Canada, wrote on X. "When California was burning who was there ? CANADA "
His comment had nearly 4,000 likes on the platform as of Friday morning.
Other users echoed this comment and mentioned the hypocrisy.
User AJ Punk, a political commentator, struck a sarcastic tone when he wrote on X, "How dare Canada burn their country down and ruin America's summer!"
Progressive commentator David Ro wrote, "When Michigan and Ontario were hit with disastrous Tornados and storms that came From the U.S. mid West. Canada did not complain or threaten the U.S. Instead they sent hundreds of hydro crews to Michigan to get the lights back on. That’s what friends do."
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