Ontario Premier Doug Ford says U.S. President Donald Trump is likely the most disliked politician Canadians can think of, inside the country or out, as he plows ahead with new tariffs in his trade war.
Ford pulled no punches when asked in an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer Thursday what the general impression of Trump is in Canada.
“He’s probably the most disliked politician in the world in Canada because he’s attacked his closest family member, and that’s the way we look on it,” Ford said.
Going a step further he said most U.S. lawmakers he speaks with feel the same way.
“When I talk to the governors and senators and congresspeople, even Republicans totally disagree (with Trump), but they’re too scared to come out and say anything because the president will go after them,” Ford said, noting there a are a handful of standout senators who are exceptions.
His latest comments come as Canada grapples with a new 35 per cent tariff imposed by Trump last week on goods not covered by the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
Ford met with Prime Minister Mark Carney and the other premiers Wednesday to discuss their response to the latest trade actions.
The premier has been pushing for Canada to hit back with dollar-for-dollar tariffs, a move other leaders have resisted.
Ford said Wednesday that he believes Trump could move to reopen CUSMA as soon as November and warned that “he is coming at us hard. He is going to come at us with everything he has and we have to make sure that that we’re ready.”
He reiterated to CNN Thursday that means onshoring as many industries as possible. However he didn’t directly respond when asked what makes him think the renegotiation, which is set to take place in 2026, will come sooner.
He also said that the tariffs have been damaging U.S. businesses and warned that even more U.S. workers will lose their jobs if the trade war drags on.
