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

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is offering realistic expectations about the upcoming meeting between Prime Minister Mark Carney and United States President Donald Trump at the White House, suggesting relationship-building would be a good first step.

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.

Ahead of the meeting, Ford told Global News he expects the discussion will be “respectful” and focus on setting the stage for future negotiations.

“They aren’t going to sign any deals today,” Ford said after a speech in Etobicoke. “It’s about building a good relationship, unlike the previous Prime Minister that didn’t have a good relationship with President Trump.”

Earlier this week, Ford said he offered Carney advice to ensure he didn’t get pushed around during the 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.”

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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.

On Tuesday, Ford said he is expecting an update from the Prime Minister following the meeting and “will have that discussion” about Ontario potentially having a seat at the table during future talks with the White House.

Ford later joked that if the meeting doesn’t go well, the premier would “catch the next flight down (to Washington) to be (Carney’s) backup.”

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.”