President Donald Trump has officially decided to halt trade negotiations with Canada, following the Ontario provincial government’s release of an anti-tariff advertisement featuring the voice of former President Ronald Reagan, which he called “FAKE.”
“It’s official: Ontario’s new advertising campaign in the U.S. has launched. Using every tool we have, we’ll never stop making the case against American tariffs on Canada. The way to prosperity is by working together. Watch our new ad,” stated Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
This announcement came through a Truth Social post where Trump condemned the Ontario government’s actions as “egregious.” He mentioned that the Ronald Reagan Foundation revealed that Canada fraudulently used Reagan’s remarks in an advertisement that cost $75 million, aimed at influencing U.S. judicial decisions.
“Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about tariffs. TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY, AND ECONOMY, OF THE U.S.A. Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED,” he wrote.
Trump’s comments reference a case due in November where the Supreme Court will assess whether the tariffs he imposed on Canadian goods were lawful. Previous rulings from lower courts found that he exceeded his authority in their implementation.
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation noted that the Ontario government neither sought nor received consent to use and edit Reagan’s comments, claiming the ad misrepresented his views.
Interestingly, while Reagan championed free trade, he did impose tariffs against unfair trade practices, such as in the case of Japanese semiconductors in 1987.
In a later post, Trump thanked the Ronald Reagan Foundation for revealing what he described as a “FRAUD.” He asserted, “CANADA CHEATED AND GOT CAUGHT!!!” emphasizing that Canada has historically taken advantage of the U.S. regarding tariffs.
“They fraudulently took a big buy ad saying that Ronald Reagan did not like tariffs, when actually he LOVED TARIFFS FOR OUR COUNTRY, AND ITS NATIONAL SECURITY,” he added.
The ad is reportedly scheduled to air across various platforms, including Newsmax, Bloomberg, and several major networks.
Currently, the U.S. has imposed a 35% tariff on certain Canadian goods that don’t meet the criteria under the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA). The Trump administration cited the trade deficit, Canadian trade barriers, and concerns about drug trafficking as reasons for these tariff increases.
