Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis responded on social media to comments made by Ontario Premier Doug Ford, saying he won’t be going down to Florida this winter. <\/p>\n
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is taking the gloves off after Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he won\u2019t be going down to Florida this winter because of the ongoing trade war with the U.S., and instead encouraged people to spend their tourism dollars locally.<\/p>\n
Speaking with reporters Monday, Ford was asked if he\u2019ll be going to Florida this winter, as he usually does, given many Canadians are choosing to boycott travel destinations south of the border over U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s tariffs. <\/p>\n
\u201cLet me tell you, it\u2019s gonna be the first time I\u2019m not going to Florida,\u201d Ford said. <\/p>\n
He said the decision was \u201cmy own personal choice because I just can\u2019t do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ford won a third term last winter on his promise to protect Ontario from Trump\u2019s trade war, and his comments came at an announcement about turning Niagara Falls<\/a> into a powerhouse tourism destination as part of that plan. <\/p>\n Ford encouraged people to spend their travel dollars closer to home this year, but also stressed that they shouldn\u2019t let Trump dictate their lives too much if they do need to go the U.S. to visit family, etc. <\/p>\n \u201cI encourage you to stay here and support local tourism,\u201d Ford said. \u201cBut you can\u2019t let one tyrant change your lives, right? You just can\u2019t let it happen.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that \u201cthey\u2019re hurting down there right now. They\u2019re hurting on all fronts. They\u2019re hurting on their economy,\u201d but emphasized he has a problem with Donald Trump, and not with Americans. <\/p>\n Swinging back in a post on X late Monday, DeSantis posted a news release from August, saying Florida broke a record for tourism in the second quarter of this year, welcoming 34.4 million visitors. <\/p>\n \u201cActually we continue to break tourism records (and win Stanley Cups),\u201d the governor quipped, adding a hockey dig, after the Florida Panthers eliminated the Toronto Maples Leafs<\/a> on their way to a second straight Stanley Cup championship last season. <\/p>\n Ford did not immediately respond to DeSantis on Twitter. <\/p>\n The premier has not shied away from taking swings at the U.S. trade war in the past few months, commissioning an ad featuring former president Ronald Reagan<\/a> talking about the ills of tariffs and running it during the World Series. <\/p>\n That move sparked the ire of Trump, who abruptly broke off trade talks with Canada over the ad. <\/p>\n