Doug Ford's Landslide Win Sets Stage For Trump Fight

Ontario Premier Doug Ford romped to a third-consecutive landslide Thursday night in a snap election he argued was necessary in order to win a mandate to fight a trade war with the United States.

“Donald Trump thinks he can break us,” Ford said during his victory speech. “He is underestimating the resilience of the Canadian people, the Canadian spirit. Make no mistake, Canada won’t start a fight with the U.S., but you better believe we’re ready to win one.”

Ford racked up 80 seats out of 124 in the Ontario legislature and picked up 43 percent of the vote.

The premier of Canada’s most populous province twice traveled to Washington during the campaign in an effort to convince U.S. lawmakers and officials in the Trump administration that tariffs will have unintended consequences.

Ford took heat from critics for heading stateside, but defended the trips in a February interview with POLITICO. "People want me down here. Wouldn't it be terrible if I didn't show up, or all the [Canadian] premiers didn't show up, communicate and listen and build relationships?"

He invited voters to pass judgment either way. "At the end of the day, in a democracy, the people will decide," he said — a gamble that paid off.

The brash premier has been one of Trump's most vocal critics in advance of a possible trade war.

“This is not a smart move. It’s selfish,” he said on the night Trump first signed an executive order confirming 25 percent tariffs on Canada. “It not only hurts Canadians, it hurts your own people. It hurts you and your administration. … It makes Americans poorer.”

In response to the threat, the premier announced plans to rip up a C$100 million contract with Elon Musk’s Starlink, a move he walked back when Trump extended the deadline to March 4.

Since taking office, Trump has fixated on the idea of Canada as a 51st state. “Canadians are taking it personally,” Ford told POLITICO earlier this month.

On Thursday night, Ford said he’s ready to do what it takes to defend Canada. “I will work with anyone; I will work with everyone, to get things done now as we stare down the threat of Donald Trump’s tariffs,” he said.