Doug Ford, the Premier of Ontario, has expressed strong opposition to the tariffs President Donald Trump plans to impose on Canadian exports. Trump, after holding back temporarily, decided to move forward with a 25 percent tariff on Canada and Mexico unless his conditions related to border security were met. In a candid interview with NBC News, Ford claimed he hadn’t encountered any Americans who backed the tariffs, even as Trump received the majority vote in the last election.
Ford desperately asserted, “We are the largest purchaser of alcohol in the world. We buy over 3,600 products from 35 states. I talked to the Governor of Kentucky and Mitch McConnell. Don’t touch our bourbon. I’m going after absolutely everything.” His statement highlighted the deep economic ties and the potential repercussions of a tariff on both countries.
He went on to explain, “And I don’t want to. We keep the lights on for 1.5 million homes in manufacturing in New York, in Michigan, and in Minnesota. If he wants to destroy our economy and our families, I will shut down the electricity going down to the U.S.” Ford’s warning seemed targeted towards creating awareness about the interconnectedness of the two economies and the potential impacts on American citizens.
He emphasized further, “This is the last thing we want to do. It’s one person that’s coming to attack us economically. Your closest friend, your treasured ally, that will stand shoulder to shoulder with you in every situation you’ve faced, and he’s attacking the person, his number one customer.”
Describing Canada as the top business partner to 28 U.S. states, Ford highlighted, “There’s no country in the world that buys more products off the U.S. than we do. We’re the number one trading customer to 28 states, and a lot of them are red states. They’re going to feel the pain like they’ve never felt before.”
He concluded, “We’re going to feel the pain, but I’ll tell you, Canadians are resilient, we’re strong, we’re proud, and we’re going to fight back like they’ve never seen before.”
Earlier in the year, Ford had an interesting response to President Trump’s depiction of Canada as the “51st state”. He jokingly proposed, “You know something, to the president I’ll make him a counteroffer. How about if we buy Alaska and throw in Minnesota and Minneapolis at the same time?”
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Ontario Premier Doug Ford says that he is willing to enter a "trade war" with America, warns US citizens will "feel the pain like they've never felt before."pic.twitter.com/EhEqy1dCGo
— Thomas Sowell Quotes (@ThomasSowell) March 3, 2025
In many circles, Trump’s policies are seen as working to establish fair trade practices and reinforce America’s stance on the international stage. Supporters argue that standing firm on tariffs encourages better trade deals, which will eventually benefit American workers and industries by ensuring a level playing field.