Ontario premier wants Republicans to lose House and Senate over Trump's trade war

Ontario Premier Calls for U.S. Mid‑Election Losses While Urging Quick Trade Deal

Ontario’s premier, Doug Ford, took a public stance on the upcoming U.S. mid‑term elections Thursday, saying he hopes the Republican Party will lose both the House and Senate. He added that voters should hold President Donald Trump accountable for the escalating trade war with Canada.

Ford, who has emerged as one of Trump’s fiercest critics in Canada, warned that the U.S. president’s actions are undermining Ontario businesses and jobs. “He’s not reliable at all. He could make a deal today and then change his mind,” the premier said, citing a pattern of inconsistent promises. Despite this frustration, Ford expressed a belief that Trump would be willing to negotiate a new agreement before the mid‑term vote, urging Canada to return to the negotiation table as soon as possible.

Ford’s remarks arrive just days after the Trump administration announced a new wave of tariffs on Canadian goods. Canada had already imposed duties on about $20 billion of U.S. exports following Canadian counter‑tariffs. In retaliation, the United States banned certain Canadian dairy products, motorcycles and most alcoholic beverages, and removed Canadian items from long‑term federal contracts.

The trade dispute has deepened with personal jabs between the two leaders. Ford mocked Trump for keeping a portrait of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan beside his desk while pursuing tariffs that Reagan had publicly opposed. In response, Trump called Ford “the less charismatic, intelligent, and overall unimpressive brother of the late, great, Rob Ford.”

Trump has also taken symbolic steps that have added to tension, including an executive order to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America.” The order has not been adopted by Canada or by U.S. states, but it has drawn criticism for its perceived disrespect toward Canadian heritage.

In his comments, Ford said that, in hindsight, Trump’s actions had at least two benefits for Canada. “The only two good things Donald Trump has ever done for Canada were that he woke us up and he united the country like I’ve never seen before,” Ford said, framing the trade conflict as a catalyst for national solidarity.

Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney weighed in on the situation at a cabinet retreat in Banff, Alberta. Carney suggested that Canada might hold off on further retaliatory measures and described the new U.S. tariffs as “relatively modest” compared with earlier moves. “We are still studying the U.S. measures and acknowledge they could have significant consequences for companies and industries,” Carney said. “Some of the new U.S. tariffs replaced others that the Trump administration had removed.” Carney also noted that the new tariffs “are relatively modest in the context of other things the U.S. administration has done.”

The trade war began in earnest last year when Trump abruptly ended negotiations with Canada after an Ontario government broadcast a television ad in the United States that quoted former Republican President Ronald Reagan’s criticism of tariffs. The ad, and the subsequent U.S. counter‑tariffs, have fueled a protracted dispute that has strained economic ties between the two neighboring countries.

Ford emphasized that Canada would not interfere in U.S. elections, stating, “We aren’t going to interfere in the U.S. election.” Yet he added that Canadians should keep an eye on how the political landscape could affect trade relations.

As the U.S. mid‑terms approach, both leaders appear poised for a high‑stakes political and economic showdown. Ford’s wish for a Republican loss comes at a time when the trade conflict could shape voters’ decisions on the ballot. Carney’s suggestion that Canada will tread carefully suggests that Washington’s next moves may hinge on both domestic politics and the potential for renewed negotiation.

The trade war and the political comments made by Ford and Trump illustrate how economic policy and electoral politics can intertwine, leaving both Canada and the United States watching closely as the 2024 elections draw nearer.