'Hit him back twice as hard': Canadian leader puts Trump on notice over threats

While Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was the face of Canadian opposition to President Donald Trump in his first term, that role now appears to belong to Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

In a lengthy interview with Politico magazine, Ford made it clear that while he hoped for good relations between Canada and the U.S. over the next four years, he wouldn't hesitate to be combative with Trump should the second-term president antagonize the United States' northern neighbor. Politico's Alexander Burns noted that Ford often sports a blue hat with the same serif-style font seen on MAGA hats that reads: "CANADA IS NOT FOR SALE."

Ford, who is 60 years old, accepted comparisons of his political style to professional wrestling. He likened himself to a "brawler with a reflex for combat," according to Burns.

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“I’m a street fighter in politics,” said Ford, who is the brother of the late former Toronto mayor Rob Ford. “If someone throws a punch at me, I’m going to hit him back twice as hard.”

After Trump threatened to impose a 25% on goods imported from Canada, Ford said he was ready to strike back with strict trade measures. This includes banning American liquor from Ontario's shelves, cutting power transmission from Canada to American homes and businesses just across the border (Windsor, Ontario is adjacent to Detroit, Michigan) and even what Burns called "dollar-for-dollar retaliation" against red states.

"[W]e’re standing up for the people. And the establishment and all the muckety-mucks, they think differently," the Ontario premier said. "For the blue-collar, hard-working families out there, they have a voice with the Ford family.

Now that Trudeau is stepping down and not seeing another term as prime minister, Ford has called for new elections in his province, seeking to claim another term in office to cement his leadership throughout the second Trump administration. He recently made an entreaty to the new U.S. president in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, arguing that a tighter United States-Canada alliance would be the best counter to China's economic influence.

READ MORE: 'Everything is on the table': Canada promises trade war with Trump if he imposes tariffs

"America will need allies, and Canada can help," Ford wrote on the day of Trump's second inauguration. "Our country offers deeply integrated supply chains across strategically significant sectors. We have an abundant supply of critical minerals, oil and gas and nuclear energy. We boast a highly trained workforce and a long legacy of partnership with American allies to confront global threats and fight tyranny."

If Trump follows through on his tariff threat, it could cause severe economic consequences for many Americans given the billions of dollars in Canadian goods Americans depend on every day. Jonathan Wilkinson, who is Canada's natural resources minster, recently warned that gas prices for some customers in the Midwest could soar by as much as 75 cents per gallon, given that the U.S. imports millions of barrels of oil from Canada every day.

The prospect of a trade war has some Americans scrambling to make significant purchases sooner than they expected in anticipation of higher prices. This includes both Canadian-made goods as well as products made in China (which could be hit with a 10% tariff) and Mexico, which Trump has threatened with a 25% tariff. Mexico in particular exports billions of dollars in grocery items ranging from meat to dairy products, confectionery items and produce, among others.

Click here to read Ford's full interview in Politico.

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