It is unclear whether Ford's defiant stance will earn Canada more favours from Trump. It is also an approach that is not unanimously agreed on, with Premier Danielle Smith of the oil-rich Alberta vehemently refusing to withhold any of her province's energy exports to the US.

The Ontario premier is now a ubiquitous presence on US cable news as he pushes back against US tariffs on Canadian goods while telling Americans that “Canada is not for sale” in the face of Trump’s threat to turn it into the 51st state.

Just hours after he stood down in the tariff battle against Trump, Ford said, “Our real enemy is China. It’s not each other.”