‘I’ll Cut Off U.S. Power With a Grin’-Ford
Ontario Premier Doug Ford isn’t backing down. On Monday, March 3, 2025, he delivered a fiery warning at a mining convention in Toronto: if President Trump’s 25% tariffs on Canadian goods take effect, he’s ready to flip the switch on electricity exports to the U.S.—and he’ll do it with a smile. “If they want to annihilate Ontario, I’ll do everything, including cut off their energy with a smile on my face,” Ford declared, according to the Toronto Sun.
Tit-for-Tat Power Play: Ford Promises to Match Trump’s Tariffs
Doubling down on his retaliation pledge, Ford made it clear the U.S. would feel the sting. “They rely on our energy. They need to feel the pain. They come at us hard, we’re coming back twice as hard,” he said. Ontario powers up states like Michigan, New York, and Minnesota, and Ford’s ready to go dollar-for-dollar on tariffs. “That’s exactly what we’re going to do,” he vowed, signaling a united front with Canada’s federal government to fight back. “I didn’t start this tariff war, but we’re going to win it,” he added.
The premier’s salvo comes as Trump confirmed Monday that his 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico kick in Tuesday, March 4, with no wiggle room left. “They’re all set. They go into effect tomorrow,” Trump said, slamming the door on last-minute deals after a 30-day delay he’d granted following talks with Canadian and Mexican leaders. Originally tied to border security and drug flow concerns—like fentanyl from Mexico and China—Trump’s now pushing U.S. manufacturing, urging carmakers to build stateside to dodge the levies. Plus, he’s teeing up reciprocal tariffs on April 2 for any nation taxing U.S. goods.
Ford’s threat isn’t just bluster—Canada’s a major energy lifeline for the U.S., and Ontario’s a key player. With the provinces and feds locking arms, Ford insists they’re ready to stand “shoulder-to-shoulder” against Trump’s trade barrage. Whether it’s lights out for American homes or a tariff slugfest, this Canadian premier’s grinning and gearing up for a showdown.