Sen. Moreno introduces bill to sanction Canadian officials
President Donald Trump complained Friday on Truth Social that the U.S. had been “invaded” by “filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air” from Canadian wildfires, calling the situation “totally unacceptable,” according to the Guardian. Two days later, the president said he had spoken to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and told him Canada needed to “stop these fires from coming in and, you know, poisoning our air.”
Trump suggested Canada “should pay some damages or something, or we should do some tariffs,” the Guardian reported. The comments came as smoke from the wildfires triggered air quality alerts across more than 20 U.S. states. In Philadelphia, the Guardian reported, the air was so unhealthy that a resident could not go outside without her eyes stinging, a preschool canceled outdoor time, and the city suspended trash pickup and closed public pools.
Carney responded to Trump’s remarks by referencing the climate crisis and stating that addressing it was everyone’s responsibility, according to the Guardian. The exchange underscored the growing divide between the two countries over who bears responsibility for the worsening fire seasons and their transboundary effects.
Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) introduced a bill last week that would sanction Canadian officials for the wildfire smoke, the Guardian reported, adding a congressional dimension to Trump’s complaints.
The smoke has not flowed only southward. Canada has issued its own air quality warnings because of fires burning in the United States, the Guardian reported, illustrating that the pollution does not respect national borders.