Doug Ford is channelling Canadians’ outrage about Donald Trump’s tariffs-and it’s not just Americans who are noticing

It was a small aside, but perhaps a surprising one given the often contentious relationship between politicians and journalists.
In an impromptu scrum with reporters in the corridor at Queen’s Park last Wednesday, Premier Doug Ford earnestly expressed gratitude to them for their coverage of U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada.
“I want to thank all of you, too. Thank you for hanging in with us, getting the message out to Canadians, because the media plays such an important role … on Team Canada and I just appreciate everything that you folks do,” said Ford. It was also high praise given how the Ontario premier has emerged as Canada’s de facto communicator-in-chief on the U.S. airwaves.
In recent weeks, Ford has appeared repeatedly on cable news shows on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC as well as on ABC News and in a feature report on the CBS Evening News.
As well, he has done interviews stateside with the Wall Street Journal, Politico and the Associated Press in hopes of reaching an even broader American audience.It’s building upon the strategy that helped his Progressive Conservatives get re-elected on Feb. 27 after a campaign in which he twice flew to Washington to lobby U.S. lawmakers against the Trump tariffs.
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said the Liberal federal government welcomes his efforts.
“Premier Ford has been helpful because he’s been sending a clear message” to Americans about the economic impact of the president’s levies on both sides of the border, Joly told the Toronto Star editorial board last Thursday.