Doug Ford’s latest warning about Donald Trump

He said the President is serious

On April 24th, Ontario Premier Doug Ford issued a dire warning to Canadians about the threats US President Donald Trump posed toward Canada while giving a speech at the Public Policy Forum’s 2025 Canada Growth Summit. 

Canada needs to shift partners

“We can no longer afford to have our economic success depend on such an unreliable partner,” Ford said according to a report from the National Post quoting his comments, though it was clear he was speaking solely about Donald Trump. 

We should worry about one man

Ford told the crowd that he wasn’t necessarily referring to Americans in general, rather he was concerned about their president and his intentions toward Canadian prosperity. 

Trump is trying to hurt Ontario

Ford stated that Trump was “openly taking aim at Ontario’s economy, threatening tariffs, disrupting supply chains, putting all of us at risk.” All of which Trump has done recently. 

The President’s ‘War on Canada’

Under Trump, Canada has seen a 25% tariff threatened, imposed, withdrawn, imposed again, and then re-adjusted on all the goods it exports to the United States. Moreover, Trump has imposed several other tariffs on Canada, including a 25% tariff on its steel, aluminum, and automobiles. 

Trump’s sovereignty threats

Trump has also been extremely critical of his northern neighbor, challenging Canada’s sovereignty and suggesting that the only way the country can work is if it becomes the 51st US state—which is an assertion that has galvanized the Canadian public.

The President isn’t joking

Some political analysts have claimed Trump’s desire to make Canada the 51st state is just a joke or negotiation tactic. However, Trump revealed in a recent interview that he was serious about his views on Canada. 

A recent revealing interview

On April 22nd, Time magazine published an in-depth interview with Trump in which the President spoke with political correspondent Eric Cortellessa about his views on Canada.

Trump said he isn’t trolling

Cortellessa suggested that Trump may have been “trolling” when he talked about making Canada the 51st state, to which the President replied: “Actually, no, I’m not.”

Making his thoughts on Canada clear

Trump dove into a long-winded rant where he again claimed that the United States was subsidizing Canada by hundreds of billions of dollars, questioned Canadian sovereignty, and again reiterated that he wanted Canada to become a US state.

We’re taking care of Canada

“We’re taking care of their military,” Trump said during his response to Cortellessa. “We're taking care of every aspect of their lives, and we don't need them to make cars for us.” 

Canada only works as a state

“We don't need their lumber. We don't need their energy. We don't need anything from Canada. And I say the only way this thing really works is for Canada to become a state,” Trump continued before Cortellessa changed the topic. 

Ford’s warning about Trump

In his speech on April 24th, Ford warned Canadians that Trump was serious about the many claims he has made toward Canada, though it was unclear if his warning was a direct response to what the President told Time magazine.

Trump wants to destroy us

“He actually wants to destroy our economy. It’s not just words. He wants to do it. He wants to destroy our auto sector. He wants to destroy our manufacturing sector. He wants to try to take over Canada,” Ford said. 

Canada is not for sale

“I can tell you: Canada is not for sale. We will never ever be the 51st state,” Ford added. The Ontario Premier previously rode the wave of Ontario’s anti-Trump sentiment during a February 2025 election in which Ford made Trump the main campaign issue.