Hour 1 of Ottawa Now for Wed. February 26th, 2025

U.S. President Donald Trump held his first cabinet meeting today, and he couldn’t avoid his tariff temptations when speaking to the media. He appeared to mix up his proposed timelines, indicating that the 25 percent tariffs would be imposed on Canada and Mexico on April 2nd. However, his Commerce Secretary appeared to suggest that the original March 4th date still holds, characterizing them as ‘fentanyl-related’ tariffs. Trump continues to criticize Canada for not spending enough dollars on national defense, arguing that our country would not exist if the U.S. wasn’t there to provide protection. Oh, and he also says our economy would also circle the drain if not for its ties to American resources. We try to make sense of it all in Hour 1. Meantime, there is a provincial election in less than 48 hours, and all 4 party leaders are hastily making their final pitches to Ontarians. CTV’s Siobhan Morris delivers the latest from the campaign trail.