Ontario Premier Doug Ford said that Ronald Reagan would be “throwing up” over President Donald Trump’s trade policy as he threatened to cut off electricity and critical minerals to the U.S. as a trade dispute escalates.
Ford said Monday that Trump has miscalculated Canadians’ willingness to endure economic pain rather than give in to U.S. pressure.
“He underestimates Canada. We’re all in,” Ford said. “Up here, we’re at a fever pitch, everyone’s in for an economic war. They know they’re going to have to sacrifice.”
Ford said Trump has “declared war, economic war against his closest friend and ally” then turned his attention to Reagan and his classic opposition to tariffs.
Ford highlighted that Trump keeps a portrait of Reagan near his desk and stated, “He’d be throwing up on him from the picture if he knew what was going on, spinning around in his grave right now.”
“He should maybe take that picture off the wall and move it somewhere else,” Ford continued. “Because right now, Ronald Reagan would be disgusted with President Trump.”
The Premier’s remarks followed Prime Minister Mark Carney’s decision to exit trade talks with the Trump administration late Friday, citing excessive demands from Washington in exchange for duty relief. The U.S. enacted 50% tariffs Saturday on roughly $20 billion worth of Canadian goods, prompting Carney to announce matching dollar-for-dollar counter-tariffs starting Sept. 8.
Trump intensified the conflict further on Monday, threatening a 50% tariff on Canadian automobiles, car parts, and steel starting next year.
“Canada has been ripping off the United States of America for years,” Trump wrote on social media Monday morning. Criticizing what he called Canada’s “ridiculously high tariffs” on American farmers, Trump added: “Not sustainable, and NOT ANYMORE!”
Ford threatens critical minerals and electricity
Ford warned that “everything is on the table” should the dispute deteriorate, including shutting off electricity exports and critical mineral shipments from Ontario. He also urged Canada to consider using oil and potash as leverage.
“I’ll cut them off,” Ford said of critical minerals. “You won’t get a grain of sand out of Ontario.”
Critical minerals carry increasing weight for U.S. national defense and industrial manufacturing. The Pentagon has worked to secure reliable supplies of raw materials utilized in military aircraft, missiles, munitions, and advanced electronics as Washington aims to diminish its reliance on China, which controls the mining and refining of several key strategic minerals.
Ford explicitly highlighted high-grade nickel exported to the United States and uranium processed in Ontario.
“What would they do without the high-grade nickel that we ship down to the U.S.?” Ford said.
Ford argued that Canada should weigh increasingly harsh retaliatory measures if Trump continues targeting Canadian industrial sectors, including oil and potash, while Ontario could raise power rates or cease sending electricity across the border.
“We power 1.5 million homes and businesses,” Ford said. “Everything’s on the table. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
If Trump persists in trying to dismantle Canadian industry, Ford added, “he better have a pack of batteries.”
Ford has leveraged electricity in past disputes. During an earlier stage of the trade row, Ontario levied a 25% surcharge on power sent to Michigan, Minnesota, and New York. Trump responded by threatening to double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum before both sides stepped back.
Auto industry becomes a central battleground
Ford accused Trump of pursuing more than just an improved trade agreement, arguing he intends to dismantle Canadian industrial capacity and transfer manufacturing south.
Ford said Trump wants to turn Canada into a vassal state.
“He wants to bleed out every single sector and bring them down to the U.S.,” Ford said.
The automotive industry plays a crucial role in Ontario, serving as the core of Canada’s vehicle manufacturing base. Plants and supply lines across Ontario are deeply integrated with facilities in Michigan and other U.S. states, with components routinely crossing the border multiple times during assembly.
Major automakers including Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis maintain major assembly operations in Ontario, supporting tens of thousands of jobs across the broader supply network. Trump’s warning of a 50% tariff on Canadian-built vehicles and components places the sector directly at the heart of the growing conflict.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated on Monday that “the only reason Canada has auto production in the first place” was the 1960s Auto Pact, under which Canada leveraged access to its domestic market to foster northern vehicle assembly.
“If he thinks the Canadian people are going to roll over and just continue buying American-made vehicles, it’s not going to happen,” Ford said.
Ford says he opposed preliminary deal
Ford also revealed that he had resisted the tentative draft agreement Carney was reviewing prior to Canada walking away from negotiations.
“I wasn’t supporting the deal,” Ford said.
Ford stated he was unwilling to allow American liquor back onto Ontario store shelves as part of a settlement and was prepared to break publicly with the proposed agreement.
“I wasn’t going to put the booze back on the shelves,” Ford said. “I was ready to go out there and call a press conference … and say I’m not buckling over.”
Ford noted his understanding that Washington sought provisions late in the talks that would have restricted Canada’s freedom to conclude trade pacts with other nations without U.S. consent. Carney has called that requirement unacceptable and an infringement on Canadian sovereignty.
“Who does he think he is?” Ford said of Trump. “You gotta be kidding.”
Reagan fight returns
Ford’s comments regarding Reagan reignited a previous confrontation with Trump. Last year, Ontario funded U.S. television advertisements featuring clips from a 1987 Reagan address cautioning that import tariffs trigger retaliation and trade conflicts.
Trump accused Ontario of misrepresenting Reagan and abruptly halted trade discussions with Canada. Ford subsequently agreed to pause the ad campaign so talks could resume.
“He doesn’t respect anyone,” Ford sad.
Despite the sharp rhetoric, Ford maintained that Canada should remain open to dialogue.
“I never believe in walking away from the table,” Ford said. “Continue negotiating and see where we go.”
