Doug Ford tells Trump where to stick it, and takes the lead in polls

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has stated that neither his team nor Prime Minister Mark Carney instructed him to dial down his remarks about U.S. President Donald Trump, who Ford referred to as a "loser." The escalating dispute between Canada and the United States culminated in the collapse of trade talks, leading to retaliatory 50% tariffs on Canadian goods.

Following the failure of trade talks, Trump frequently criticized Canada on his Truth Social platform, including a post that labeled Ford as the "less charismatic, intelligent, and overall unimpressive brother of the late, great, Rob Ford."

During a news conference on Monday, Ford launched a scathing attack on the president, calling him a "loser," "king of bankruptcies," and a "dictator." He reiterated these claims on subsequent occasions, emphasizing that he would not compromise in the face of Trump's actions. In a recent interview on CNN, Ford acknowledged that the rhetoric had become heated, but he insisted that Prime Minister Carney had not asked him to tone it down.

"I had a call, but (Prime Minister Mark Carney) never said that at all," Ford told reporters. "He knows I have his back, the country knows I have their back."

Ford maintained that his staff did not raise any concerns about his language. "I had a call, but (Prime Minister Mark Carney) never said that at all," Ford reiterated during the news conference. "Those words resonated," he added. "When your country and your province are under attack, and this guy is nothing but a bully, it resonated around the world."

Ford also discussed his disagreement with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith over the use of oil as leverage in trade talks. Ford called for a "Team Canada" approach, using resources like oil to pressure the U.S. Smith disagreed, stating that cutting off Alberta's energy exports would be detrimental to Canadians. Despite their differing viewpoints, Ford asserted that he and Smith were collaborating effectively on a proposed oil pipeline project from Alberta to refineries in Sarnia, Ontario, and that he planned to meet Smith in person in Alberta in the coming weeks.