Ford's grip starts to slip

Plus: Chaos on the South Lawn

ABOVE THE FOLD

Premier DOUG FORD went on a two-minute rant praising a Vaughan resident who shot at a home invader and the statues on the South Lawn will be covered up amid graffiti-spraying protests — but first: a pair of fresh polls suggest Ford is slipping in the public’s eye.

Honeymoon’s over: According to the Angus Reid Institute’s quarterly premiers’ performance survey, Ford’s approval has dropped to near-record lows, hitting 31 per cent and making him the second-to-last most popular premier, ahead of only Quebec’s FRANÇOIS LEGAULT, who is resigning.

What a difference a year makes. Per the pollster: “Ford’s role of ‘Captain Canada’ in the face of tariffs and annexation threats from U.S. President DONALD TRUMP revived the Ontario premier’s popularity. He was perhaps the most notable beneficiary of a ‘Trump bump’ after languishing near the bottom of ARI’s premier approval ratings for the previous two and a half years. The bump has smoothed out, and Ford is back to generating approv…