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Photo by Peter J. Thompson/National PostOntario Premier Doug Ford called for a truce in his war of words with President Donald Trump but backed Canada’s plan to retaliate against fresh U.S. tariffs.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an Accountor“Things got a little heated, Joe, yesterday between both of us. He was throwing insults,” Ford told host Joe Mathieu on Bloomberg Television. “And I hit back. But I think it’d be more productive if the prime minister and the president sit down and have a fair deal for everyone.”The U.S. imposed 50 per cent tariffs on hundreds of Canadian products Saturday after trade talks collapsed, prompting Prime Minister Mark Carney to announce hours later that Canada will impose counter-tariffs. So Trump threatened on Monday to double tariffs on Canadian autos to 50 per cent.Upon hearing that, Ford told a radio host that the president could “kiss my ass as far as I’m concerned.”Following those comments, Trump directed personal insults at Ford, calling him a “flunky,” and later said the U.S. would consider renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America.The United States is giving serious consideration to changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America in that we don’t expect to doing much business with Ontario any longer. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP( TS: Aug 25 2026, 6:58 AM ET )… pic.twitter.com/X5TxYS8TaV— Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) August 25, 2026“It got carried away. And I’m not innocent by any means,” Ford said. “But I’m going to take a different approach. I’m going to move forward.”Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againEarlier Tuesday, Canada announced a plan to double its existing counter-tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum items to 50 per cent. American-produced milk, furniture, clothing and apparel will also have new duties applied, as will video-game consoles, electronics and a host of other products.Ford said he wasn’t opposed to further retaliation if necessary, but stopped short of endorsing cutting off electricity to the U.S.“I wouldn’t say cut it off, but surcharges for sure,” he said, adding that he’d prefer to send more electricity to the U.S. instead.In 2025, in the early weeks of the trade war, the premier added a 25 per cent surcharge on electricity sent to three U.S. states for one day before reversing the decision so trade talks could continue.Ford leads Canada’s most populous province and has become a central figure in the trade war. As the country’s manufacturing heartland, Ontario has been heavily affected by U.S. economic aggression. The province’s liquor agency is one of the world’s largest alcohol buyers, and Ford was among the first provincial premiers to remove U.S. booze from shelves.The premier’s combative style has repeatedly caused friction with the Trump administration — most notably when the president pulled the plug on talks last year after Ontario ran an anti-tariff ad in the U.S.— With assistance from Joe Mathieu.Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.