Canadian columnist asks if Trump will arrest Canada leader after Maduro arrest

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Canadian columnist asks if Trump will arrest Canada leader after Maduro arrest

The recent Venezuela strikes brought up Trump's past interest in acquiring Canada

Lindsay Kornick Fox News

Published

January 8, 2026 9:00pm EST

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The Toronto Star published an opinion piece Tuesday questioning whether Ontario Premier Doug Ford needs to worry about President Donald Trump seizing and arresting him in Canada after the recent U.S. military strikes against Venezuela.

Over the weekend, Trump announced military strikes in Caracas that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. The recent acts drew renewed attention to Trump's initial push earlier in his administration to acquire other countries like Greenland.

Considering Trump's public interest in acquiring Canada as the "51st state," Toronto Star columnist Vinay Menon questioned whether Ford needs to "beef up security" out of caution.

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Doug Ford, Ontario's premier, has criticized President Donald Trump in his second term despite previously supporting the president. (Cole Burston/Bloomberg via Getty Images )

"This is why I’m worried about our premier," Menon wrote. "Whether he’s threatening to choke off energy exports in response to tariffs or running anti-Trump ads featuring a speech by Ronald Reagan, no Canadian politician gets under Agent Orange’s skin quite like Mr. Ford. The situation in Venezuela should be a wake-up call for all of us."

Though initially supportive of Trump during his first term, Ford has since become more critical of Trump's policies, such as levying tariffs against Canada. By 2025, Ford endorsed an ad criticizing Trump's tariff strategy that reportedly led to the end of trade talks between the U.S. and Canada.

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Ford himself dismissed the idea of Trump being a threat to Canada after the Venezuela operation while addressing the press on Monday.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is seen in handcuffs after landing at a Manhattan helipad, escorted by heavily armed federal agents as they make their way into an armored car en route to a federal courthouse in Manhattan on Jan. 5, 2026, in New York City. (XNY/Star Max/GC Images via Getty Images)

"It’s not going to frighten me. It shouldn’t frighten anyone in Canada," Ford said.

He added, "I’m not going to worry about President Trump. I’m going to worry about what we can do, how we can diversify our trade around the world and start shipping more goods and products and our energy."

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Menon, however, warned that Trump was "on a war footing" and that Canada could be on his path.

"Doug Ford needs to be careful when he enters and exits Queen’s Park this year. America is in a hostile takeover mood and we are in plain sight," Menon concluded his thoughts.

A Canadian officer salutes President Donald Trump

The recent U.S. military strikes against Venezuela renewed discussion about President Donald Trump acquiring Canada. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

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Fox News Digital reached out to the Office of the Premier for comment.

Lindsay Kornick is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to lindsay.kornick@fox.com and on Twitter: @lmkornick.

Canadian columnist asks if Trump will arrest Canada leader after Maduro arrest