Fact Check: Did a North Dakota mayor sue Canadian wind farm for using American wind?

WALHALLA, NORTH DAKOTA: Amid tensions and trade wars between the United States and Canada over tariffs, a post is circulating online claiming that North Dakota Mayor Steve Clack sued a Canadian wind farm for using American wind. The claim has sparked speculation among online users, who are questioning its authenticity and seeking a fact-check.

Claim: North Dakota mayor sues Canada for using American wind

According to the viral claim, Walhalla, a small town in North Dakota, located five miles from the Canadian border, was suing a wind farm in Manitoba, Canada, for using America’s wind. 

A Facebook user shared a post on August 31, accompanied by a caption reading, “North Dakota Mayor Sues Manitoba Wind Farm for Stealing 'American Wind.'"

The claim drew mixed reactions from online users, with some interpreting the claim as true and accusing Canada of stealing America’s wind.

Fact Check: The claim originated as satire

However, the claim is false, as there are no publicly available reports supporting the post. 

Searches on multiple search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo for the claim yielded no relevant reports from prominent news media outlets such as The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, The Grand Forks Herald, The Associated Press, or Reuters, which, if true, would not go unreported.

There are also no such reports in local news articles or Walhalla's official city council meetings to determine whether Steve Clack was really the mayor, when he is actually not.

The search also revealed that the claim originated from a Canadian news satire radio show called "This Is That," which posted the claim on its Facebook page, calling it a "classic This Is That clip from our 2nd season," and described itself in the bio as satire. 

Donald Trump warns Mark Carney as trade tensions escalate

The claim gained traction amid President Donald Trump’s ongoing trade standoff with the neighbouring country. Recently, Trump even warned Canadian politicians, including Prime Minister Mark Carney, that making him “the enemy” could bring severe political consequences. 

Taking to his official Truth Social handle, the president wrote, "It is very good for Canadian Politicians like Prime Minister Carney to make President Donald J. Trump “the enemy,” until their Economy collapses; then it will prove to be very bad for Politics — Worse than anything that has ever happened to a Canadian Politician. Just watch!" 

But the post did not specify what action by Carney prompted the warning.