Ottawa residents watching the escalating Canada-U.S. trade war got a jolt this week as Ontario Premier Doug Ford unleashed some of his harshest language yet against President Donald Trump, calling him a "loser" and a "dictator" after Trump posted about the Ontario premier online.
The war of words comes as the trade dispute between the two countries deepens, with steel, aluminum, and the auto sector bearing the brunt of new tariffs and retaliatory measures. Ford has been one of the most vocal Canadian premiers pushing back against Washington, and this latest exchange marks a sharp escalation in tone.
Threats to cut off power
Once again, Ford is threatening to cut off electricity exports to the United States, a move Ontario has floated before as leverage in the trade standoff. Ontario supplies power to several U.S. border states, including New York and Michigan, and any disruption would be felt on both sides of the border. For Ottawa, which sits directly across the river from Gatineau and within close reach of the U.S. border via upstate New York, the threat underscores just how intertwined the regional economy is with cross-border trade and energy flows.
Why it matters for Ottawa
As the seat of the federal government, Ottawa is often the first stop for the political fallout of a Canada-U.S. spat like this one. Federal officials, trade negotiators, and diplomats based in the capital are expected to be closely monitoring how Ford's comments affect the broader relationship between Ottawa (the federal government) and Washington. Ontario's economy — and by extension, the jobs and supply chains that touch the Ottawa region, from auto parts suppliers to tech firms with cross-border clients — stands to be affected if tariffs escalate further or if energy exports are actually curtailed.
Ottawa is also home to a significant number of federal public servants and policy staff who work directly on trade files, meaning the city has an outsized stake in how this dispute plays out at the negotiating table.
A pattern of blunt talk
Ford has never been shy about speaking bluntly on the national stage, and his latest comments fit a pattern of increasingly combative rhetoric aimed at the Trump administration over trade policy. Calling a sitting U.S. president a "loser" and "dictator" is a notable break from typical diplomatic messaging, reflecting just how frustrated Ontario's government has become with the state of trade relations.
For now, the situation remains fluid. Steel and auto workers across Ontario, including those with ties to the Ottawa region's manufacturing and logistics networks, are watching closely to see whether the rhetoric translates into concrete policy changes — and whether Ford follows through on his electricity export threat.
Source: Global News Ottawa
