Don't mess with Ford (in Texas)

Plus: Bains buzz

ABOVE THE FOLD

TEXAS TEA — If you want to understand why DOUG FORD is spending the week barnstorming Texas boardrooms and Republican offices, don’t start in Texas. Start back home, where his “Captain Canada” brand has become one of the more resilient political shticks at Queen’s Park.

By now, Ford’s pitch in Texas is a familiar one: tariff-free trade, “Fortress Am-Can,” supply chains, critical minerals, nuclear — Energy Minister STEPHEN LECCE is also stateside — and a steady drumbeat that Ontario is not only open for business, but crucial to North America’s economy. The message is aimed at industry players and lawmakers. But the audience that matters most is still in Ontario.

Because here’s the thing: the Premier’s cross-border economic chest-thumping plays well at home. That “tough on tariffs” approach helped him lock down the 2025 election. And the timing of this year’s CUSMA talks allows him to keep it going.

Not everyone’s buying it. Opposition critics argue the Premier is overplayi…