Is weighing in on Trump’s antics helping or hindering Canada’s trade war?
Posted September 4, 2026 10:40 am.
Last Updated September 4, 2026 12:49 pm.
In an executive order, U.S. President Donald Trump declared that Lake Ontario is now called Lake America, a move that infuriated Canadians from coast to coast and prompted politicians of all levels to speak out.
“We’re into some real foolishness now. It’s Lake Ontario, buddy,” Nova Scotia’s Premier, Tim Houston, posted on X.
Following this post, Houston appeared on MS Now (formerly MSNBC), an American TV broadcaster, to speak about the president’s decision.
“The rhetoric’s been going on for a couple of years at this stage, but the reality is, this is something that somebody does when they are trying to appear strong, but it’s only evidence of weakness,” Houston said.
In a time of heightened tensions and keyboard warriors, is it best for politicians like Houston to keep a poised, professional demeanour or clap back like Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford did in his minutes long diss track of the U.S. president?
Two Nova Scotia political scientists weigh in on the “extraordinary” period in history Canada is in and how witty comebacks or cool, collected statements are resonating with all Canadians.
Houston: ‘Being part of a team at home’
Lori Turnbull, a political professor at Dalhousie University, says there’s an expectation that the prime minister and premiers stand up for Canada.
Last week, Prime Minister Mark Carney and his negotiators stepped away from the discussion table with the U.S. after Canadian politicians said the Americans were introducing “unfair” and “uneconomic” changes last minute.
Days later, an Abacus Data survey showed that 71 per cent of Canadians believe the federal government made the right decision to suspend talks.
This is what sparked Trump’s fury to change Lake Ontario’s name from the American perspective. It prompted people speaking out, including Houston, who Turnbull says in an age of being Canada strong, it doesn’t hurt to share his reaction.
“My feeling about it, is when Houston’s talking, he’s talking to Nova Scotians, he’s talking to the people who he’s representing,” she said in an interview with CityNews.
I spoke to Peter Alexander on MS Now on how Trump’s trade war against Canada is going to hurt many companies in the United States. I was happy to represent Nova Scotia and speak about the work we are doing to diversify our trading partners and become more self-reliant as we… pic.twitter.com/q8TCzSjgCy
— Tim Houston (@TimHoustonNS) August 31, 2026
The Nova Scotia premier’s posts and comments make his stance clear to residents of the province, but also to the prime minister.
“It contributes to a mood around the table that people have had it with Donald Trump and they’re just kind of rolling their eyes,” she said. “I also don’t think for the most part that premiers having a reaction to things, it doesn’t necessarily give us leverage.”
In some cases, like when the Ontario government ran an ad in the U.S. featuring former president Ronald Reagan, that it actually created more difficulties. At the time, Trump terminated talks with the country over the ad and put Ford in the spotlight with a public dispute with the president.
Because of this, Turnbull explains that Ford has “an exchange with Donald Trump that Houston doesn’t have.”
“Nothing Houston says is going to affect Trump, but it’s more a sense of being part of the tram at home, which at this point I think is very important,” she said.
Ford: ‘Good cop, bad cop’
Tom Urbaniak, a political science professor at Cape Breton University, says behind the scenes it is clear Houston and Ford align philosophically, but their messaging is quite different.
For those who study public policy in the province, he says Ontario and Nova Scotia historically are in tandem. Because of this, Urbaniak is not surprised to see a firmer stance from Houston, and a more “of the people” response from Ford, like his comments often are.
“Tim Houston does have a different personality than Doug Ford. So, you’re seeing some of the same messaging, but maybe using different visuals and sometimes different words,” he explained.
Comparing Ford to Carney, Urbaniak says it’s a “good cop, bad cop” presentation.
“Doug Ford was letting loose often with sentiments that were on the minds of many Canadians, whereas Carney was sometimes trying to keep a low profile, especially when the negotiations were happening,” he said.
Both, Turnbull and Urbaniak say, are truthful reactions of the respective politicians.
It’s not a surprise to the professors that Ford is commenting the way he is; calling like he sees it is part of his long political career and dates back to when he sat on Toronto City Council.
“It’s not surprising to anybody who has watched Doug Ford’s political career to see him responding this way. In some ways he’s actually calmer,” Urbaniak said.
Turnbull said Ford’s move to ban American alcohol from the LCBO is part of the reason the premier is on the radar of the president. The alcohol distributor is one of the single-largest purchasers of booze in the world, and the pulling of American Bourbon off the shelves has created cascading impacts for Americans.
“The fact that Ontario is not buying American booze means their bourbon industry is in massive crisis,” Turnbull said. “Ford’s ban of that is what Trump is hearing about. Ford is a player in a way that Houston’s not, but that’s not an insult against Houston, it’s just the way it is.”
Carney: ‘Consummate professional’
There is a belief, a value, that Canadians are generally polite and courteous, Urbaniak said, which is why the prime minister is often using strong language and actions to show Trump how he’s willing to fight.
“There is an expectation that our leaders will not allow Canada to be pushed around,” he said.
In history, there have been some key events where Canada was shaped by hostility from the United States, he notes, like the War of 1812 and even pre-Confederation when the U.S. cancelled the reciprocity treaty with the British-North American colonies, driving them closer together.
“There were famous incidents between some of our prime ministers and some of their presidents, but nothing on this scale in our lifetime,” he said.
Carney’s messaging has been steady, Turnbull explains, as he’s a “consummate professional.”
“He always is in control. He always has that same look on his face that he can handle anything,” she said.
Where Ford pushes and uses tactics that are “probably closer to deal-making in business,” Turnbull said, Carney is using actions.
On Thursday, the federal government said it is spending $4.7 billion on new VIA Rail passenger cars, and for the first time in 40 years, they will be made in Canada.
“Cars that used to be built in the United States will be built right here in Thunder Bay at Alstom, by the best workers in the world,” Carney said.
Whether it’s a short post on X, calling the president a “loser” or slight remarks by the prime minister, one thing is clear to the political scientists: all messaging is aligned for Team Canada.
“There is a strong legitimate expectation that our leaders will show solidarity and communicate very clearly that we stand for each other and with each other,” Urbaniak said. “So, this is a solidarity moment for Canada too, and sometimes that does require a strong response.”
With files from The Canadian Press and CityNews Toronto Staff.
