Ontario Premier: Trump Treating Canada 'Like Communist China'

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said President Trump is "treating us like we're Communist China" as a trade dispute between the United States and Canada deepens, even as he expressed hope the two countries can still reach an agreement.

"We're the closest friends and allies that the U.S. has anywhere in the entire world, and I want to keep it that way," Ford told CBS News chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett. But he cautioned that "no deal is better than a bad deal."

Talks between Washington and Ottawa broke down last week, prompting the Trump administration to impose 50% tariffs on roughly $20 billion worth of Canadian goods. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has responded with matching tariffs on certain U.S. goods set to begin September 8.

The dispute has turned personal. Trump has called Ford "unimpressive" and a "flunky" of Carney, while Ford has called Trump a "dictator" and used crude language suggesting Trump could "kiss" his backside. Trump said this week he's considering renaming Lake Ontario "Lake America," saying he doesn't expect to keep doing much business with the province. Ford brushed off the idea, saying, "It's always going to be Lake Ontario here in Canada."

Ford called the U.S. tariffs an "unprovoked attack on Canadians" and said Washington "kept changing the goalposts" during negotiations. Asked whether the U.S. made last-minute demands, Trump told CNN, "that sounds like me."

Trump administration officials have blamed Canadian negotiators for the breakdown, saying they added last-minute demands, including on tariff relief for heavy trucks. Canadian officials have leveled the same accusation back at Washington.

Ford warned that both countries will suffer economically, particularly in sectors like auto manufacturing with heavy cross-border trade. He has previously floated surcharges on electricity Ontario sends to the U.S. "When you attack your No. 1 customer, it doesn't work out very well," he said.

Still, Ford argued Canada is better positioned to withstand the fallout. "It's going to be pain on both sides of the border," he said. "It's going to hurt Americans as much as it's going to hurt Canadians. The only difference is, we have the financial stability to support our businesses, and we're diversifying trade around the world."