Ontario Premier Urges GOP to Lose Congress Over Trump's Trade War

Doug Ford didn’t just gripe about tariffs. He went straight for the ballot box. The premier of Ontario said he hopes Republicans lose the House and Senate because he doesn’t like President Trump’s trade posture, and that’s a pretty stunning thing for a Canadian provincial leader to say out loud. It’s not diplomacy, it’s a wish list for regime change.

We get it: tariffs bite. They also get results when Washington has finally had enough of lopsided arrangements and polite press releases that never change anything. Trump has never hidden what he’s doing here. He’s using leverage to push for better terms and stronger domestic production, and he’s doing it in public. If Ford wants to argue the numbers, fine. But calling for American voters to punish one party because Canada doesn’t like U.S. negotiating tactics is something else. That’s crossing a line, and he knows it.

It’s also a useful reminder for Republicans heading into midterms: the people most upset by Trump’s trade moves are often the ones who benefited from the old setup. Ford isn’t speaking as a neutral observer. He’s defending his province’s interests, which is his job. Our job is to defend ours. And the reality is that trade fights are messy by design, because the status quo is sticky and comfortable for everyone except the American worker who’s been told to adapt for 30 years.

If Ford wants a different outcome, he should pick up the phone and talk terms, not try to play junior kingmaker in U.S. elections. Americans can decide their own Congress without pep talks from Queen’s Park. Negotiate hard, then move on. That’s what grown-ups do.