‘I’m no Justin Trudeau’: Doug Ford says sagging poll numbers not indicative of his popularity

Premier Doug Ford speaks at a news conference in Toronto June 23, 2026.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford pushed back again Tuesday against the idea that a number of recent polls indicate his popularity is declining as he closes in on a decade in power.

“I’m no Justin Trudeau, okay?” Ford told reporters when asked if he feels his recent poll numbers indicate people are “turning a page” on him as they have on other premiers and prime ministers who had been in power as long as he has.

“We’ll see if these numbers will carry on for three weeks, and you know, with all due respect to the other premiers, I’m Doug Ford. I’m not Dalton McGuinty, God bless Dalton McGuinty. I’m not Kathleen Wynne, and I’m sure the heck not Justin Trudeau,” Ford said.

All three figures mentioned by Ford exited their roles as premier or prime minister with consistently poor approval numbers following years in power.

McGuinty was in power for almost a decade from 2003 to 2013 before he stepped aside and was replaced by Wynne as premier of Ontario. Wynne was premier for five years before being defeated by Ford in 2018, though she had held many high-ranking positions in the McGuinty government for the preceding decade.

More recently, Justin Trudeau stepped aside as prime minister in March 2025 following plummeting approval numbers. Trudeau had been in power for nine years, but faced an internal revolt, as well as calls from the opposition to go.

Ford, who has led the province since 2018 and has won three straight majority governments, has faced a string of poor poll numbers recently. Most notably, his popularity took a hit following the purchase and quick sale of a $28.9 million private jet he said he needed to better get around the province and for travel to the U.S. to bolster Ontario’s economy in the face of tariff threats.

He has also faced public pushback over legislation that retroactively exempted the premier and his ministers from freedom of information laws, and a plan to take over Toronto’s stake in the island airport and massively expand it.

A recent poll by the Angus Reid Institute found Ford’s approval rating at its weakest point ever, roughly 21 per cent. Ford dismissed the poll as “fake” last week and said he’d win another massive majority if an election were held today. That prompted the organization to issue a statement saying it stands by its research, which has sometimes indicated Ford was the most popular premier at other times. Angus Reid also issued a legal letter to Ford warning him not to slander them.

Speaking with reporters Tuesday, Ford reiterated he believes he would win another large majority if an election were held today.

“I’ll tell you one thing. If the election was held today, we wouldn’t just form a majority, we would form another massive majority, a super majority, as we call it, that no one’s ever done in the history of Ontario,” Ford said.

The premier also slammed protesters for disrupting his annual FordFest BBQ for the public in Scarborough last week, alleging they swore in front of children and hurled insults.

He said supporters far outnumbered those protesting his government and that the protesters still took part in the BBQ.

“It’s really sad, but they made sure that they ate those burgers and drank their drinks and had their ice cream. I’m glad they enjoyed themselves as well,” Ford said.

Ford was speaking with reporters at an announcement that the federal and provincial governments will provide Toronto with $1.5 billion over 10 years if they drastically cut development charges on new homes for at least three years. The province estimated the deal could result in some 44,000 new homes being built in the city.