‘Property not for sale’: Ford appears on Fox News with message to Trump about Canada

Ontario Premier Doug Ford continues to make his U.S. media rounds, appearing on Fox News in his latest response to President-elect Donald Trump over his recent obsession to make Canada the 51st state.

Ford appeared on Jesse Watters Primetime to again dispel the notion that Canada would be open to annexation.

“I love the U.S. I love Americans. I get it. President-elect Trump is a real estate tycoon; he’s made billions,” Ford said. “But that property is not for sale. It’s as simple as that.”

Ford’s comments on Fox News were made hours after Trump threatened to use “economic force” to make Canada the 51st state and doubled down on his tariff threats as he criticized Canada’s military spending and trade with the U.S.

The President-elect stated that the U.S. “basically protect Canada” and continued to say, “We don’t need anything they have” when asked about Canada-U.S. trade.

“You get rid of that artificially drawn line, and you take a look at what that looks like, and it would also be much better for national security,” Trump said. “Canada and the United States, that would really be something.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded, saying, “There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States.” Other politicians, including Pierre Poilievre, Jagmeet Singh and Melanie Joly, also commented on Trump’s stance.

‘Like an episode of South Park’

Federal Immigration and Citizenship Minister Marc Miller were among those blasting Trump’s comments that Canada should become the 51st state, comparing the idea to an episode of “South Park”.

“I think the Prime Minister said it right; there isn’t a chance in hell that it’s going to happen. They’d have to find us on a map but that will take them maybe a few years,” he said outside the Liberal caucus meeting in Ottawa on Wednesday.

“Look, I said a couple of weeks ago this like an episode of South Park. I’ll start to get worried when they confirm Eric Cartman as the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” Miller added. “This is silly, it’s unbecoming frankly of a president, any president that would say that. But we do have to take it seriously and I think that is something that we’ll keep doing.”

Trump continues to push tariff threat

Trump’s first shot at Canada came in November, when he said he would impose a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian and Mexican imports as soon as he returns to the White House on Jan. 20 –unless the two countries improve security along their borders with the U.S.

Ford has maintained that tariffs won’t work, considering how integrated the U.S. and Canadian economies are. He noted that in the auto sector, parts can go back and forth across the Canada-U.S. border several times before being fully assembled in Ontario or Michigan.

“We’re proud Canadians, just like there are proud Americans,” added Ford. “And if we join together and take on the world with a great trade deal between us, I think that would be fabulous.”

Following his interview with Fox News, the premier said he appeared on Watters’ show to communicate a clear message to Americans.

“We’re an economic powerhouse in Canada. We’re the number one trading partner to 27 states,” Ford told CityNews at Queen’s Park. “We have the energy that we ship down there, crude oil and electricity, critical minerals. Stay tuned, let’s see what happens here.”

About 60 per cent of U.S. crude oil imports and 85 per cent of U.S. electricity imports are from Canada.

Ford’s government announced on Tuesday an operation intended to beef up security along the border with the United States that will “crackdown on illegal border crossings and illegal guns and drugs.” As part of the operation, Ontario says provincial police have an “emergency response team” of 200 officers focused on boosting border security.

With files from The Associated Press