TORONTO – Rob and Doug Ford lashed out at the media – including Global News – during the brothers’ return to their weekly radio show while just briefly addressing recent drug allegations.
The show began by the mayor saying he would address recent allegations against him before both brothers launched into a several minute tirade against Toronto’s media.
“Bunch of maggots,” the mayor said about Toronto’s media before quickly apologizing. “No matter what you say to the media, they’ll never be happy.”
Councillor Ford however warned Toronto’s media that he was “coming after them.”
“The gloves are off,” Doug Ford said. “The point is, they’re coming after us, I’m coming after them. This is new politics folks.”
The brothers took three callers during the first hour of the show. The first two callers were ardent Ford supporters, but the third caller asked the mayor directly about the recent allegations made by Gawker and the Toronto Star.
“I can’t comment on a video that doesn’t exist,” Ford said adding that he takes photos with everybody.
The brothers cancelled their show, The City, last week after allegations arose on Gawker and the Toronto Star that a video exists showing what could be the mayor smoking what could be crack cocaine.
Mayor Rob Ford called the allegations “ridiculous” and, according to his brother, said they were “untrue.”
“We never have shows when we have a long weekend,” Mayor Ford also noted on the radio Sunday.
On Friday the mayor denied using crack cocaine.
Global News has not seen the video and cannot verify its authenticity.
The Globe and Mail reported on Saturday that a lengthy investigation into the Ford family’s past revealed a history of a family “once deeply immersed in the illegal drug scene.”
In an interview with Global News reporter Jackson Proskow, Councillor Doug Ford flatly denied the allegations were true.
“No, I have never been involved in the drug trade,” he says.
One caller, who claimed to be a retired police officer and said he had never previously spoken to Doug Ford called in to the show Sunday afternoon to support the councillor.
“I have never heard your name surface in connection with any drug culture,” he said.
He also continued on with a theme of the show and took a swipe at the state of journalism in the city.
“It seems that journalism has taken a bit of a slide,” he said attacking the Globe and Mail’s use of unnamed sources in their investigation into the Ford family.
LISTEN: Doug Ford briefly responds to Globe and Mail allegations. Warning: This recording contains explicit language that may offend some listeners.
Global News was also a target in Doug Ford’s attack on Toronto’s media.
Ford attacked tweets Proskow had sent during the Ford’s radio show Sunday. Proskow had tweeted the fact the brothers received underground parking at Newstalk 1010 and as a result, they wouldn’t be available to the media for questions.
Ford described the tweets as “gotcha journalism.”
“My friend Jackson Proskow, after 2 hours, this is a gentleman from Global, after 2 hours of us talking, the best thing he can come up with is he’s tweeting that 1010 has an agenda for underground parking and they put us in the underground,” Ford said. “You know, this is again, this is sensationalism gotcha journalism. He doesn’t care about what we’ve done or any of our accomplishments.”
He added that Proskow “ambushed” him at work Saturday.
In response, Proskow tweeted “we showed up at his family business, knocked on his window and asked if he would speak. He agreed.”
Before leaving to attend his daughter’s first communion, the mayor spoke about his recent departure as the head coach of the Don Bosco Secondary School football team.
He thanked the players and said they have the talent to win the Metro Bowl next year.
He was let go as coach on Wednesday after the Toronto Catholic School Board completed an investigation into an interview the mayor did.
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