Ontario Premier Doug Ford called US President Donald Trump a “loser” and a “bully” on Monday, vowing to fight back against his tariff threats as the trade war between the two neighbours escalated.“I can go back and forth with Trump. You know, I’m not gonna. I’m just not gonna take the bait. This guy’s a loser. He’s going to be a loser,” Ford said at a news conference in Hamilton.“We’re gonna fight with everything we have,” he added, saying he had “more courage, more brains in my baby toe” than Trump had “in his whole body”.Also Read: Canada to announce retaliatory tariffs against US as Trump tells its leaders to 'fall in line'Ford also doubled down on an earlier remark that Trump could “kiss my a--” and said Canada needed to “throw everything and the kitchen sink” at the US president.The Ontario premier’s comments came after Trump threatened to raise tariffs on Canadian automobiles, auto parts and steel to 50% from January 1, 2027, and attacked Ford and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on social media.Trump called Ford the “less charismatic, intelligent, and overall unimpressive brother” of the late Rob Ford and referred to him as “Flunky Ford”. He also called Ford and Carney “clowns” and warned Canada to “fall in line” or face consequences that would be “far worse”.Ford dismissed the warning, saying he would not take advice from “a dictator like President Trump”.“He’s the type of guy in school that would take your lunch money one day, take your toque off your head the next day and then steal your running shoes,” Ford said.Ford says Reagan would be ‘throwing up’In an interview with The Associated Press earlier Monday, Ford said former US President Ronald Reagan would be “throwing up” if he knew about Trump’s trade policies.“He’d be throwing up on him from the picture if he knew what was going on,” Ford said, referring to a portrait of Reagan that Trump keeps near his desk. Ford said Reagan would be “disgusted with President Trump”.Ford also threatened to cut off critical minerals to the US if the dispute worsens.“I’ll cut them off,” he said. “You won’t get a grain of sand out of Ontario.”He said “everything is on the table”, including electricity exports to the US. Ontario supplies power to about 1.5 million people and businesses in Michigan, New York and Minnesota.Trump escalates tariff threatThe war of words came as Trump announced another escalation in the trade fight, saying tariffs on Canadian cars, trucks, automotive parts and steel would rise to 50% from January 2027.“Canada has been ripping off the United States of America for years,” Trump said in a separate social media post, accusing Ottawa of imposing high tariffs on American farmers.The latest threat followed the collapse of trade talks between Washington and Ottawa last week. US tariffs of 50% on about $28 billion worth of Canadian goods took effect early Saturday, while Canada has vowed to retaliate.Also Read: Trump threatens 50% tariffs on Canadian cars, trucks and steel from January 2027Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Monday that Ottawa may need to move away from matching US tariffs dollar for dollar and instead use more targeted measures to protect Canadian workers and businesses.Canada is due to announce its retaliatory measures on Tuesday.Ford backs CarneyFord said he fully supports Carney’s decision to walk away from the trade negotiations after Washington made what Canada described as unacceptable last-minute changes to its proposed terms.Carney has accused Washington of seeking to subordinate Canada, saying Ottawa would not accept an approach that treated Canada as a subsidiary of the US.Ford has similarly accused Trump of trying to weaken Canadian industries and shift production to the US.The auto sector has become a central battleground in the dispute. Ontario is the centre of Canada’s vehicle manufacturing industry, with Ford, General Motors and Stellantis operating major plants in the province. The industry relies on tightly integrated supply chains, with parts and vehicles crossing the US-Canada border multiple times during production.Ford said Canada was prepared to withstand economic pain rather than give in to US pressure.“We’re all in,” he 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.”The escalating confrontation puts one of the world’s most deeply integrated trading relationships under further strain, with Canada and the US closely linked across autos, energy, agriculture, steel and manufacturing.