U.S. President Donald Trump blasted Canada on Thursday over cross-border wildfire smoke, saying the environmental cost inflicted on the United States would be added to tariffs Ottawa is already paying. Writing on Truth Social, Trump called the polluted air flowing into the U.S. "completely unacceptable" and said he would call Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney later in the day to demand an explanation.
The threat comes as nearly 3 million hectares of land in Canada have been destroyed by wildfires this season, with more than 190 blazes burning in Ontario alone. U.S. cities including Detroit, Chicago, Washington and New York ranked among the worst in the world for air quality on Thursday. EPA head Lee Zeldin said the impacts were causing great concern across the country.
The smoky haze has also raised concerns ahead of Sunday's FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina in New Jersey. White House World Cup taskforce chief Andrew Giuliani said organizers are monitoring the situation closely.