Ontario Premier Doug Ford stated Thursday that he hopes Republicans will lose control of both the House and Senate in the upcoming U.S. midterm elections, suggesting voters should hold President Donald Trump accountable for escalating the trade war.
"Hopefully, he’s going to lose the Senate. He’s going to lose Congress. I hope so, and hold him accountable," Ford said, though he added that Ontario would not interfere in the U.S. election.
Ford has been a vocal critic of Trump, accusing the president of attempting to move Ontario's businesses and jobs to the U.S. He described Trump as unreliable, noting that "He could make a deal today and then change his mind. And we’ve seen that over and over again."
Despite these criticisms, Ford expressed a belief that Trump desires a resolution before the midterms and that Canada should return to negotiations. "I truly believe President Trump wants a deal before the midterms," Ford said. "I could be wrong, but I think it’s best that we sit down and get a deal."
Ford's remarks follow recent actions by the U.S. to escalate the trade dispute, including the banning of certain Canadian dairy products, motorcycles, and alcoholic beverages. These moves came after Canada implemented retaliatory tariffs on approximately $20 billion worth of U.S. goods.
The two leaders have exchanged public barbs over the trade conflict. Ford previously mocked Trump for keeping a portrait of former Republican President Ronald Reagan, who opposed tariffs, near his desk. Trump, in turn, had criticized Ford, calling him "the less charismatic, intelligent, and overall unimpressive brother of the late, great, Rob Ford."
Adding to the tensions, President Trump signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario as "Lake America," a rebranding that Canada does not recognize. While not binding on Canadian entities or other international bodies, the order intensified the ongoing friction between the two countries.
Ford suggested that Trump's actions have inadvertently strengthened Canada by prompting it to reduce its dependence on the U.S. He characterized Trump's "only two good things for Canada" as having "woke us up" and uniting the country.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney indicated Thursday that Canada might delay further retaliation against recent U.S. trade measures, describing them as "relatively modest" compared to previous U.S. actions. Carney stated that his government was reviewing the measures, acknowledging their potential impact on companies and industries, but also noting that some new U.S. tariffs replaced others that had been removed. "We also recognize that, in the context of other things that the U.S. administration has done... that these are relatively modest measures," Carney said.