Trump blames Canada for wildfire smoke as scientists reject sanctions threat

US President Donald Trump has accused Canada of “poisoning” American air with smoke from widespread forest fires, threatening to impose 50% tariffs and demand compensation from its northern neighbour.

Speaking following the World Cup final, Trump claimed he urged Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to halt the blazes from crossing the border, declaring that the US was being “unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted and unhealthy air”.

In support, Republican Senator Bernie Moreno announced plans to introduce legislation sanctioning Canada for alleged forest mismanagement. Over 8.1 million acres of Canada’s boreal forest have burned following a severe heat dome, causing hazardous, hazy air across major US and Canadian cities.

Leading climate scientists and ecologists have forcefully dismissed Trump’s claims, describing the rhetoric as unfounded, logistically impossible, and a form of victim-blaming.

Experts, including Michael Mann and Lori Daniels, emphasised that the intensified fires are a direct symptom of global climate change rather than improper forest management. They pointed out that clearing or “raking” Canada’s vast, remote boreal forests is physically unfeasible, noting that the smoke flows both ways across the border and requires international climate action rather than trade penalties.