Ford says Carney must avoid being ‘bullied’ in White House meeting with Trump

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says Prime Minister Mark Carney must make sure not to get “bullied” in his first meeting with United States President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday.

Ford made the comments at an unrelated event on Monday, where he said he was confident in the prime minister ahead of his first trip to meet face-to-face with Trump after an election campaign focused on the president.

Carney departed for Washington, D.C., on Monday afternoon in preparation for Tuesday’s meeting, his first trip to the United States since he was elected to form a minority government in a race where he talked tough on Trump.

With the meeting looming, the president was dismissive and said he was “not sure what he wants to see me about.”

Ford said he wanted to make sure Carney didn’t get pushed around in the potentially key White House summit.

“I just mentioned to him, don’t get bullied because we know where he’s going, and stand firm,” Ford said on Monday morning. “We’re their number one customer — and yes, they’re our number one customer — but just be strong, we have your back.”

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

While the premier offered advice to Carney ahead of his first major diplomatic mission to the United States, his office confirmed Ford himself had not been invited to attend.

The Progressive Conservatives recently won a third successive majority on the promise that another majority would strengthen Ontario’s hand to deal with Trump. While Ford has travelled to Washington, D.C., several times and met with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, he has not spoken to the president.

But at Queen’s Park, even Ford’s critics were sympathetic to the fact the premier was not included in the meeting and said it was appropriate that the prime minister meet with the president one-on-one for his first Washington visit.

“I think in this first meeting, I think it is important that they lay the groundwork, prime minister to president,” Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie said. “I think it’s very important that the two meet one-on-one.”

Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner also suggested the meeting made sense.

“You know what? I think Prime Minister Carney deserves an opportunity to have a one-on-one meeting with Trump, so I’m not going to criticize that,” he said.

NDP Leader Marit Stiles, however, suggested Ford’s lack of invitation was a poor reflection on how he was handling Ontario’s role in the U.S.-Canada trade war.

“I think at the end of the day, the premier has not proven himself to be ready for the fight,” she said. “He’s taken a laissez-faire approach to this, and that’s not what Canada needs right now. We need people who are going to get up and fight for every single job in every single sector.”

&copy 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.