Political point-scoring over trade: Ford's Trump fight puts Alberta and Saskatchewan at risk
Canadian premiers ramp up anti-American rhetoric in response to Trump’s tariffs, but it’s western industries that pay the price.
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Article by Rebel News staff
Tonight, on The Ezra Levant Show: Trump’s new tariffs, Doug Ford’s threats, and the cost for western Canada. Ezra is also joined by guest Sue-Ann Levy on her latest op-ed: Canada burns, Carney pays everyone else.
Donald Trump has lobbed another round of tariffs at Canada, and the reaction from Canada’s political class has been as predictable as it is pointless. Instead of serious negotiations, Canadians get the same tired theatre: loud threats, anti-American sentiment, and a game of political hot potato with western jobs as collateral damage.
There’s no question that dealing with Trump is a challenge. Every country faces it, including China. Yet even America’s great rival manages to cut deals and keep business moving. Canada is supposed to be the closest ally, and we have far more to lose. So what’s our excuse? Why can’t we get a deal done when everyone else seems to manage? Our leaders seem more interested in grandstanding than in serious negotiation.
Ford: "We are an energy powerhouse, and we could dismantle the U.S. if we wanted to ... They need to feel the pain rather than us constantly feeling the pain." pic.twitter.com/B3L9JdYbFz
— Scott Robertson (@sarobertson_) July 21, 2026
Doug Ford has responded to Trump’s latest tariffs by threatening Alberta’s oil patch and Saskatchewan’s potash industry. Instead of fighting for Canadian jobs at the table, his answer is to put western jobs on the chopping block. Is that really his to sacrifice? It’s political theatre, pure and simple, and it’s western workers who pay the price.
Despite Danielle Smith prioritizing her relationship with the Trump Administration, they just announced 50% tariffs on Canadian exports. Albertans are paying the price while she puts her political interests first.https://t.co/AgMqM8Z4KD
— Alberta NDP (@albertaNDP) July 20, 2026
It’s not just Ford. The Alberta NDP is busy blaming Danielle Smith for prioritising her relationship with the Trump administration, claiming Albertans are “paying the price.” But the new tariffs do not target Alberta’s main exports. In fact, Alberta may be getting the best deal of any province while the rest of the country sinks under the weight of its own bad policies. The NDP would rather see performative insults than protected jobs.
The fixation on performative anti-Americanism is politically useful. Stirring up resentment against the Americans plays well for central Canadian politicians desperate to distract from their own failures. Mark Carney was once sold as the “Trump whisperer.” He has completely failed. There has been a decade to learn how to handle this president. The same mistakes keep getting repeated. At this point it is fair to ask whether some of these leaders even want a deal, or whether they prefer the political benefits of a weaker economy and constant anti-American noise.
This opportunism is not limited to Ford. David Eby, stuck at 31 percent in the polls, is seizing on anti-Trump rhetoric to rally the Trump-haters in his base. Wab Kinew, who previously implied Trump was a rapist, has stayed quiet this week. His past comments still say plenty about the level of the debate.
Premiers have no constitutional authority to conduct foreign trade policy, yet they keep inserting themselves. Scott Moe has shown more restraint, simply urging a deal. Bizarrely, Jason Kenney has taken Ford’s side, twisting himself into defending Quebec’s dairy protections while giving Ontario a free pass to threaten the West.
The real issues, according to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, are clear: the dairy cartel, provincial liquor restrictions, and autos. Why should Canadians across the country pay double for milk and cheese so Quebec can maintain massive tariffs on American dairy? Provincial booze bans aimed at “hurting” Trump are empty gestures that only hand the Americans more ammunition. And threatening to dismantle the U.S. economy while importing tens of thousands of Chinese electric vehicles a year is not a serious position.
These are unserious men in serious times. Mark Carney has not told the premiers to stand down. He has not defended Alberta oil or Saskatchewan potash either. Western Canada is left to pay the price.
GUEST: Sue-Ann Levy on her latest op-ed: Canada burns, Carney pays everyone else
COMMENTS
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Bernhard Jatzeck commented 2026-07-21 22:44:16 -0400 FlagFord said that Canada could dismantle the U. S. A., provided it worked together.
Why does he remind me of a yappy little dog that barks a lot in an effort to show how fierce we’re supposed to think it is? -
Marilyn Hagerman commented 2026-07-21 22:21:34 -0400 FlagJust like the 51st state joke Trump used on cute Sox, this latest reaction from some premiers just feeds his soul! Canada just takes one step forward and four + backwards. Embarrassing lot of low level thinkers “speed running” to always blame others for their complete lack of leadership and decision making!! President Trump certainly knows what buttons to push!!!!
All you “Trump haters”…..direct some of your ill-spent energy on the direct cause of where you are at, where our entire country is at…..,corrupt globalist Mr. Carney and his fixation on Brookfield assets and his corrupt globalist associates! -
James Henry commented 2026-07-21 22:19:50 -0400 FlagEby is a loser and possibly really, really stupid. I was visiting BC just last week. Went into a non-Provincial liquor store, found the California section and bought two bottles of Tom Gore Cab Sav. More expensive than I care for but tasted great.
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Bruce Atchison commented 2026-07-21 21:21:25 -0400 FlagHumanity would be far better off without politics. That is what has held humanity back for millennia and still holds us back. So Canada is dying slowly while Carney props up other failing states with OUR money!
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Paul Scofield commented 2026-07-21 21:01:35 -0400 FlagGood to see Fat Trudeau and Mr. Cheese-pud from BC prove what many have already figured out: that both are not very bright. If the Canadian Chiefs pushing the Kamloops hoax and Wab the Kenew had joined the fray, we’d have four-or-a-kind.
In a way, what else do they have besides “Trump…Trump…Trump?” These clowns, along with the ringmaster himself, have crashed the Canadian economy, much like the idiot Left in America did under FJB. Regular Canadians could effect a fix, but gaining enough access to the levers of power to do so will not be likely in the near future.
For non-BC coast western Canada, especially Alberta, the traditional American fondness for your work ethic, your national values, your friendship and your common-sense remains firm. Maintaining a civil relationship with the U.S. will pay off likely sooner than you think. -
Bernhard Jatzeck commented 2026-07-21 20:59:09 -0400 FlagPW:
I think the last time B. C. had a premier who was worthwhile was when Bill Bennett was in charge and he took office about 50 years ago. -
Bernhard Jatzeck commented 2026-07-21 20:57:12 -0400 FlagJV:
The B. C. I grew up in is most certainly a thing of the past. That’s one of the reasons I sold the house I inherited from my parents. -
Jane Vandervliet commented 2026-07-21 20:41:35 -0400 FlagThe Canada I grew up in is gone. God help the next generation. It is entirely possible that the west is being punished for the murder that abortion is. Perhaps God will not help us because we are not sorry for our murderous culture.
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Peter Wrenshall commented 2026-07-21 20:30:20 -0400 FlagDavid Eby, with his whingy voice, self-pitying remarks, even down to his ill-fitting, dull-grey patterned jacket, comes across as a total beta male. Actually, more like a gamma male.
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Bernhard Jatzeck commented 2026-07-21 20:07:27 -0400 FlagRemember, Carney, Ford, and Eby are the “adults in the room”, or so they’d like us to believe.
