Ontario Premier Doug Ford has fired back at Donald Trump after the US president used Truth Social to complain about smoke from Canada’s wildfire emergency drifting into the United States.
On Friday, July 17, Trump said Canada should be held accountable for expenses linked to worsening air quality in the US as smoke from active wildfires spread south across the border.
In his post, he wrote, “The cost is incalculable!” and accused Canada of ‘willful negligence’, while arguing the fires had become a ‘yearly occurrence’ that was ‘costing the United States Billions of Dollars’.
Trump went on to argue that those losses should be recovered in some way, suggesting Canada should cover them and saying the ‘cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying.’
He also said he planned to speak with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney “to find out what they are going to do about it,” while criticizing Canada for not ‘properly maintaining their Forests, and Brush’.
Trump further said the US was being ‘unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable!’
Ford responded by saying Trump should think about helping Canada before talking about putting additional financial pressure on the country over a climate-driven disaster.
“With all the assets the U.S. has, and he’s sitting there complaining. Why don’t you send up some water bombers? Why don’t you start helping us, like we would help you in a heartbeat?” Ford said.
“You should support your neighbors. That’s my message to the president,” he added. “Sorry to go on a little rant, but it drives me crazy.”
Ford also said Trump’s comments were “absolutely unacceptable” and argued the US should be offering support instead of criticism as Ontario battled fast-moving fires. Earlier in the week, Ontario announced it would buy five helicopters and six water bombers to strengthen its firefighting fleet, as smoke continued to spread across parts of Canada and the US.
By Sunday, California Democratic Senator Adam Schiff had voiced a similar view in a post shared on X.
He said Trump’s tariff comments are ‘the threats and ramblings of a failing leader’, writing: “When California was burning, Canada sent fire fighters, planes and assistance — not insults. We should show some humanity.”
Later that same day, Trump attended the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where he was seated with Carney and other world leaders.
He said he had spoken with the Canadian prime minister and indicated Canada needed to do more to contain the fires.
Trump claimed: “I told them you got to stop these fires from coming in and poisoning our air. Our air has been poisoned. If we can help them, we’ll help them. But maybe they should pay us some damages or something, or we should do some tariffs.”
Canadian officials have stressed that wildfire smoke is affecting air quality on both sides of the border, while fire conditions remain severe across parts of Ontario and western Canada. The smoke has already prompted air quality advisories in several US states and renewed attention on how wildfire seasons are growing longer and more destructive.
A day later, on Monday, Trump imposed 50 per cent tariffs on some Canadian goods, according to the BBC, after alleging Canada had treated American alcohol products unfairly, along with dairy businesses and auto products.