Just ahead of Quebec’s upcoming provincial election, U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed allegations of him interfering with French-speaking Canadians as baseless. The remarks were made on his Truth Social account. The breakdown of recent trade talks between the U.S. and Canada was partly attributed to concerns raised by Prime Minister Mark Carney regarding potential threats to the French language. Carney highlighted issues such as subsidies to French-language media and the requirement for bilingual product labeling. Additionally, Carney addressed the American negotiators’ concerns about the discoverability of French-Canadian content on streaming platforms, citing Quebec’s existing legislation that facilitates access to such content. Trump refuted the accusations of meddling with French-speaking Canadians in a social media post, accusing the Prime Minister of fabricating the story for political gain. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly responded by emphasizing the importance of sovereignty in Canada. Last year, Quebec passed Bill 109, aimed at promoting and ensuring the accessibility of French-language cultural content in the digital realm. The legislation, enacted in December 2025, mandates streaming services to include more French-language content. Quebec’s stringent regulations on product labeling, outlined in Bill 96, were also flagged as a trade concern by the U.S. government in early 2025.