Ontario Premier, California Governor Make World Series Wager, Take Shot at Trump Tariffs

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has made a wager with California Gov. Gavin Newsom over the World Series, with both politicians taking a shot at U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

The Toronto Blue Jays are playing the L.A. Dodgers in a best-of-seven series. The Jays won the first game on Oct. 24, with a second game to be played Oct. 25.

Ford and Newsom made the “friendly wager” in a video posted to social media on Oct. 24.

“If the Blue Jays win, I’ll send you some of Ontario’s finest maple syrup in a proper tin can, the way it’s meant to be enjoyed. The tariff might cost me a few extra bucks at the border these days, but it’ll be worth it for a Jays win,” Ford said.

Newsom responded in the same video, calling it a “sweet offer.”

“But something tells me that syrup is staying north of the border when the Dodgers win,” the governor said. “When they do, I’ll send you a bottle of California’s championship-worthy wine.”

With the Blue Jays heading to the World Series against the LA Dodgers, @CAgovernor Newsom and I have a friendly wager going. Win or lose, we’re thrilled to celebrate great baseball, good neighbours and a friendship between Ontario and California! pic.twitter.com/88iH7pTifu

— Doug Ford (@fordnation) October 24, 2025

“And hey, can you do me a favour? Think you can put it on the liquor store shelves?” he asked Ford in the video, referring to the premier’s decision to remove U.S. alcohol from Ontario liquor stores in response to Trump’s tariffs.

Ford replied: “I don’t think so, buddy. Talk to your friend in the Oval Office.”

Ford’s government directed the removal in March, when Trump first announced tariffs. The premier has said the U.S. alcohol products will stay off liquor store shelves until U.S. tariffs are removed or Canada secures a trade agreement with the United States.

In the post, Ford added that, “Win or lose, we’re thrilled to celebrate great baseball, good neighbours and a friendship between Ontario and California.”

The video ends with Ford and Newsom, a Democrat, saying jointly, “Here’s to a great #WorldSeries and a tariff-free friendship between Ontario and California.”

The video was released one day ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump saying on Oct. 25 that he’s hiking tariffs on Canada by 10 percent due to the continuation of an anti-tariff ad sponsored by the government of Ontario.

Anti-Tariff Ad

Canada and the United States have been in trade talks for several months after the U.S. president imposed tariffs on Canada early into his presidency. In the latest development, Trump said late Oct. 23 that he called off trade talks with Canada over an advertisement from Ford’s government that uses the voice of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan speaking against protective measures in trade during a 1987 radio address.

In an Oct. 24 post on TruthSocial, Trump said Canada had “cheated and got caught” by presenting Reagan’s words “fraudulently” to make it seem like he was not in favour of tariffs, “when he actually loved tariffs for our country and its national security.”

Ford said his province would pause the ad, following a discussion with Prime Minister Mark Carney. However, he said the ad would continue over the weekend during the initial two World Series games.

Ford said the intention of the ad was to initiate a conversation about the impact of tariffs on workers and businesses. He said his team would “keep putting our message in front of Americans over the weekend” before the ad is pulled.

Trump said on Oct. 25 that since the ad hasn’t immediately been stopped, he’ll raise tariffs on Canada by 10 percent, adding that the ad was intended to interfere with an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court hearing into his administration’s tariffs.

Matthew Horwood and Jennifer Cowan contributed to this article.