Event with Trump commerce chief and Canadian conservative abruptly cancelled

Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks at a rally in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, October 9th, 2023. Shutterstock/Eli Unger

A meeting between American and Canadian officials has been put on ice, and according to sources who spoke with The Globe and Mail newspaper, it came after the Trump White House made complaints about the event featuring his biggest conservative enemy in Canada.

"The White House had voiced complaints about Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s Washington reception with Ross Perot Jr., board chair at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, before it was abruptly cancelled, according to two American industry sources," the report explained. "The reception, which was scheduled for Monday, was one of the most high-profile events that Mr. Ford was set to attend during his two-day visit to the U.S. capital. But a spokesperson for the chamber said it had been called off because of 'scheduling conflicts.' However, a source familiar with the reception said the White House expressed concerns about Mr. Ford to Mr. Perot Jr. before the event was cancelled."

Ford, a conservative politician and head of the Ontario provincial government, has been amongst the most defiant and combative Canadian leaders towards President Donald Trump, despite their political alignments, taking major issue with his tariff threats and his talk of making Canada the 51st U.S. state. Ford and his government were notably involved in the anti-tariff ad campaign featuring sound bites from Ronald Reagan attacking them as an economic policy, which angered Trump so much that he halted trade talks with Canada.

According to The Globe and Mail, a source close to the situation said that Ford is "viewed as a major problem by the Trump administration," and claimed that the White House had "complained to business figures in Washington" about his various appearances during his visit.

"A White House official denied that there had been any communication with the Chamber of Commerce itself about the Monday event, but used the opportunity to take a shot at Mr. Ford," the report noted. "The Globe agreed not to name the official in order to learn the administration’s perspective on Mr. Ford’s visit."

Speaking with the press about the situation, Ford said the meeting was cancelled because of "a little conflict of scheduling" and stressed that his delegation had been "well-received."

"We have been jammed meeting everyone down here," Ford said. "They rolled out the red carpet for us. They treat us so well."

"The Premier, who was once an admitted supporter of the U.S. President, has been one of his loudest critics since Mr. Trump began hammering Canada in his global trade war last year," the report added. "Mr. Ford told reporters that he didn’t meet with any members of the Trump administration during his visit, despite his office telling reporters in advance that he would."

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