U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra’s expletive-filled tirade toward Ontario’s trade representative was “absolutely unacceptable” and “unbecoming of an ambassador,” Premier Doug Ford said Wednesday.
It comes days after Hoekstra was seen in a heated rant against David Paterson, Ontario’s trade representative, at a Canadian American Business Council event in Ottawa on Monday, several witnesses told CBC News.
Sources at the event spoke to CBC News on condition of anonymity.
The heated exchange, reportedly riddled with insults, mentioned Ford by name and appeared to have been prompted by Ontario’s anti-tariff ad that aired on television in the United States through Monday, something that has infuriated US President Donald Trump.
While Ford insisted the announcement was “the right thing to do,” he urged Hoekstra to apologize to Paterson and get negotiations back on track.
“Pete [Hoekstra]You have to call Dave. [Paterson] Get up and apologize. It’s simple,” Ford said at an unrelated news conference Wednesday. “Sometimes I get angry, but you just call the guy and bury the hatchet.”
US President Donald Trump called an Ontario government ad in which Ronald Reagan talked about tariffs “false,” saying it misrepresents the speech. For The National, CBC’s Ashley Fraser breaks down how they compare and why Trump is so upset.
Ford said the ad was his way of defending himself against Trump’s multiple attacks on Ontario and Canada.
“What do you expect me to do? Sit up and roll around like anyone else in the world?” he said, adding that the video was “a hit” with more than 11.4 billion impressions.
“So why doesn’t the president start being nice? Be nice in the sandbox to your biggest customer in the whole world and everything will be fine,” Ford said.
The intent of the ad was not to “push the president,” but rather to start a conversation and “wake up Democrats,” Ford said.
The ad features an anti-tariff speech by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan, which Ford said is a stance the well-known Republican leader spoke about on several occasions.
“Ronald Reagan is telling the truth. A tariff on Canada is a tax on the American people,” he said.
Chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton discusses where trade talks are headed following Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s announcement with Globe and Mail reporter Ian Bailey’s Sunday Scrum panel, CBC Radio’s The House host Catherine Cullen and the Toronto Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief Robert Benzie. Additionally, PEI Premier Rob Lantz, former Canadian ambassador to the United States Frank McKenna, and Justin Trudeau’s former deputy chief of staff Brian Clow join the show to discuss trade negotiations.
Despite the conflict, Ford called Hoekstra “a good guy” with whom he had made a bet for the World Series and the loser would wear the winning team’s jersey.
Hoekstra has made headlines in the past for some of his blunt comments about the relationship between Canada and the United States.
He described Canadian retaliation against Trump’s tariffs as “disgusting,” denouncing American boycotts of alcohol and Canadians choosing to vacation anywhere other than the United States.
Hoekstra also tried to downplay Trump’s jibes about Canada becoming the 51st state, describing it as a term of endearment.
