Speculation that Ontario Premier Doug Ford orchestrated a viral “Do You Believe the Polls?” campaign to undermine federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has persisted despite evidence linking the initiative to private citizens with no political affiliations.
The Toronto Sun identified Mississauga residents Paul and Shara Micucci as the creators of the controversial messaging that appeared at Poilievre rallies, not Ford’s political team as widely rumored on social media.
“We got some shirts, hats, signs and a banner made up at the mall,” Paul Micucci told the Sun, firmly denying connections to Ford or his campaign strategist Kory Teneycke. “I have never had a conversation with Premier Ford about politics at any level.”
The couple’s campaign gained over 369,000 views on social media within a week, fueling conspiracy theories after Ford publicly defended Teneycke’s criticism of the federal Conservative campaign’s dismissal of polls showing Liberal Leader Mark Carney gaining ground.
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Read: Doug Ford Defends Former Campaign Manager’s Critique of Poilievre Strategy
Ford’s comment that “Sometimes the truth hurts” was widely interpreted as undermining Poilievre, particularly as it came amid growing tensions between provincial and federal Conservative factions.
Lawrence Martin, writing in The Globe and Mail, suggested Ford’s actions appear deliberate: “What it looks like is that he does not want Mr. Poilievre to win this election.”
The Conservative premier of Canada’s most populous province holds considerable influence over the party’s electoral prospects. With 43 federal Liberal seats in Ontario currently held in regions where Ford’s provincial Conservatives dominate, his lack of enthusiastic support could prove costly.
When pressed about his loyalty on Wednesday, Ford said: “I’m a Conservative. I’ll always be a Conservative, simple as that,” while insisting he is “not getting involved in this election.”
According to reports, tensions between the Ford and Poilievre camps date back to 2019, when Jenni Byrne, now a top Poilievre advisor, left her position amid disagreements with Ford’s senior advisers.
Read: Ford Tells Poilievre He’s ‘Staying Out’ of Federal Election
Nick Kouvalis, Ford’s pollster, noted in a social media post that “for months/years, Pierre did not reach out to Ford,” adding that many in the senior federal Conservative ranks had worked against Ford’s interests.
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