‘Standing up’: Canadian premier’s bold message to Donald Trump amid tariff threat

A Canadian premier has gone viral on social media after sending a very clear message to Donald Trump.

A Canadian premier has gone viral on social media after he wore a hat to send a very clear message to Donald Trump ahead of his inauguration.

Hitting back at the incoming Republican President, Ontario Premier Doug Ford was seen wearing a navy hat with the words ‘Canada is not for sale’ on Wednesday.

Mr Ford wore the cap – which seemingly resembles Mr Trump’s iconic ‘Make America Great Again’ hat – while speaking with reporters ahead of a premiers’ meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to discuss Canada’s response to the threat of US tariffs.

“This is about everyday Canadians standing up for the country,” Mr Ford said when addressing the hat.

“We need to unite and we cannot let President Trump divide us. He will be being sworn in, in a week and then he’s going to lay the tariffs on Canada. He’s going to try to devastate our country, he’s going to try to divide our country.”

Ontario Premier Doug Ford was seen wearing a navy hat with the words ‘Canada is not for sale’ on Wednesday. Picture: CBC News

Mr Ford later took to X to thank the company Jackpine Dynamic Branding, for creating the hat and echoed his earlier remarks.

“I was proud to wear it this morning to deliver the message that we need to put country first. Everyday Canadians are stepping up, united and proud. As the hat says, Canada is not for sale,” he wrote.

Photos of the premier have been posted on social media, where many have ridiculed the decision to use a hat to hammer home an important message.

“I miss when policy positions weren’t communicated by hat,” one person wrote on Reddit.

“Didn’t need that hat, it’s written on his face,” said another.

“He has this ‘I’m done with this s***’’ look,” another wrote.

“We are going to live to see the first hat based declaration of war aren’t we?’ another quipped.

It comes as Donald Trump, who will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on January 20, has vowed to slap a 25 per cent tariff on goods imported from Mexico and Canada as punishment for what he says is their failure to stem the flow of drugs and undocumented migrants into the US.

Donald Trump has vowed to slap a 25 per cent tariff on goods imported from Mexico and Canada. Picture: Brendan Smialowski/AFP

Outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has pledged to retaliate against the tariffs, which could prove devastating to the Canadian economy.

Speaking after Wednesday’s meeting with the premiers, Mr Trudeau said “nothing is off the table” when it comes to responding to the tariffs.

“What we’ve agreed on is we have to respond to the challenge we’re facing and that the burden is shared across the country,” he told reporters.

“We will stand up for Canada, we will protect Canadians.”

Mr Trump has also made repeated comments about Canada merging with its southern neighbour ahead of his return to the White House.

“Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State,” Mr Trump wrote on Truth social following Mr Trudeau’s resignation announcement earlier this month.

“If Canada merged with the U.S., there would be no Tariffs, taxes would go way down, and they would be TOTALLY SECURE from the threat of the Russian and Chinese Ships that are constantly surrounding them. Together, what a great Nation it would be!!!”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said “nothing is off the table” when it comes to responding to the tariffs. Picture: Dave Chan/AFP

Canadians reject US merger in poll

A new poll by the Angus Reid Institute found 90 per cent of Canadian citizens reject the idea of linking up with the United States.

Even some so-called Trump supporters are cool to a merger.

“I’m very proud to be Canadian. I love this country. I enjoy visiting the United States. I enjoy doing business in the United States, but Canada is home,” Paul Koidis, a Trump supporter in Toronto, told AFP.

Mr Trudeau has also publicly rejected the notion of Canada becoming the 51st US state.

“There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States,” Mr Trudeau wrote on X last week.

“Workers and communities in both our countries benefit from being each other’s biggest trading and security partner.”

Mr Trump has made repeated comments about Canada merging with its southern neighbour. Picture: Joseph Prezioso/AFP

Former prime minister Jean Chretien called Trump’s remarks insulting and an “unprecedented threat to our very sovereignty.”

“We built a nation across the most rugged, challenging geography imaginable. And we did it against the odds,” he said in an open letter.

“We may look easygoing. Mild-mannered. But make no mistake, we have spine and toughness.”

More and more Canadians have been egging on their political leaders to take a firm stand against Trump’s designs on Canada.

Mark Brawley, an American Canadian professor of international relations at McGill University in Montreal, said “there are stark differences” between the two peoples.

“We have different values and they’re incompatible for us to become one country,” he told AFP.

Although Canada-US free trade since 1994 arguably brought the two sides closer together, he said Mr Trump’s trolling is sparking a backlash and “will reinforce Canadian nationalism”.

– With AFP