President Donald Trump has abruptly ended all trade negotiations with Canada, accusing a government-sponsored Ontario advertisement of “fraudulently” using a speech by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan to criticize his administration’s tariffs policy.
The advert, which aired on U.S. television channels last week, features a voiceover of Reagan saying that tariffs “hurt every American.” Trump took to Truth Social to denounce the ad, writing:
“TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY, AND ECONOMY, OF THE U.S.A. Based on their egregious behaviour, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.”
The video was funded by the government of Ontario in response to the Trump administration’s imposition of a 35 percent tariff on a range of Canadian imports, including steel, as well as targeted duties on other industries. Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who unveiled the one-minute advert, stated, “We’ll never stop making the case against American tariffs on Canada.”
The clip uses excerpts from Reagan’s 1987 national radio address on foreign trade, which cautioned that high tariffs can lead to retaliatory measures, trade wars, and economic harm for American workers and consumers. While the quotes were selected from different sections of Reagan’s speech, there is no evidence they were altered.
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute condemned the ad, claiming it “misrepresents the presidential radio address” and that Ontario had not sought permission to use or edit the remarks. The foundation said it was “reviewing its legal options.”
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, who recently met with Trump at the White House in an effort to negotiate a trade deal, expressed disappointment at the U.S. decision. Carney and Premier Ford have not publicly commented on the president’s announcement.
Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, has been particularly affected by the tariffs, prompting Ford to threaten, in March, to cut power supplies to Michigan, New York, and Minnesota in retaliation. The province’s $75 million Canadian dollar advertising campaign aims to pressure U.S. lawmakers and the administration to reconsider the tariffs.
