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Colin Robertson, a fellow with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, pressed Hoekstra on what the ambassador is conveying to his boss about Canadians’ sentiment toward the U.S. 

“One of the things we’re concerned about is that the president seems not well informed when he says things like, ‘Canada, you haven’t got anything we want.’ In fact, we do, like potash,” he said, garnering applause from the audience. 

That set off a prickly exchange.

“I just take great offence at Canadians saying our president is uninformed, our president is untrustworthy, those types of things,” Hoekstra said. 

Robertson asked Hoekstra whether he empathizes with Canadians who don’t take kindly to the president’s past musings about Canada becoming the “51st state.” 

Hoekstra seemed exasperated by the question. 

“My direction from the president is very, very clear: prosperity, safety and security. And for those Canadians who want to talk about growing business opportunities, securing and their borders and those types of things...the embassy is open to do business with you,” he said. 

“If you wanted talk about the ‘51st state,’ I’m sorry, I don’t have time to do that.” 

Hoekstra also said the administration might have to “take a look at” customs preclearance at Canadian airports for U.S.-bound travellers, given the drop in cross-border visitors. 

Preclearance, which has been in place since 1952, enables travellers to be inspected before their departing flights, bypassing officers at their U.S. destination. 

“We’re not sure we can make the numbers work anymore because preclearance is something that is done at the expense of the U.S. government. We pay for it,” Hoekstra said. 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection says it has more than 600 officers stationed at airports in six countries: Ireland, Aruba, Bermuda, the United Arab Emirates, the Bahamas and Canada. The Canadian locations include Calgary, Toronto, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Victoria and Winnipeg. 

Robertson also asked Hoekstra about the Trump administration tying tariffs on Mexico and Canada to a purported failure to crack down on fentanyl trafficking. 

“We’re not really much of a source of fentanyl,” Robertson said. The Canadian government has nonetheless invested in border measures, and Robertson asked what will satisfy the U.S. 

“The drug cartels are looking for alternative places and avenues to produce these drugs and get them into the United States. So going after all of that, that whole structure and being prepared for where we need to be — there are still things that we need from Canada,” Hoekstra said. 

Robertson pressed for specific additional measures the U.S. wants. 

“I’m aware of what they are,” Hoekstra replied. 

“Those are ultimately sensitive negotiations between our law enforcement and Canadian law enforcement.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2025.