ABOVE THE FOLD
En route to D.C. again, DOUG FORD may be hoping this third trip will be the charm in the on-again, off-again tariff tango with DONALD TRUMP.
Ford scored the invite to the White House after agreeing to back off electricity tariffs. Let’s set the table.
Who’s who: Ford is meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary HOWARD LUTNICK. Also batting for Team Canada will be federal Finance Minister DOMINIC LeBLANC and U.S. Ambassador KIRSTEN HILLMAN. Ford says he’s looking to get a sense of Trump’s “coherent” plan for tariffs, which has so far been chaotic.
“I want to find out where their bar is set,” the Premier told reporters.
Tensions are high: While Ford called the invite an “olive branch,” he’s had some tense calls with Lutnick. Lutnick, meanwhile, told Fox he expects it to be a “nice conversation,” but he also ripped Ford on CBS, saying Trump wanted to “break some guy in Ontario” when he threatened 50 per cent tariffs on our steel and aluminum (he wound up sticking to 25 per cent…