President Donald Trump escalated tensions with Canada, announcing a 10% tariff increase on Canadian goods after a television ad from Ontario used a rearranged version of Ronald Reagan's 1987 speech, which denounced tariffs.
Trump Accuses Ontario of ‘Fraud’ Over Reagan Ad
On Saturday, Trump accused the Canadian province of "fraud" for what he called a deceptive use of Reagan's words, even though the audio in the ad was authentic.
"The sole purpose of this FRAUD was Canada's hope that the United States Supreme Court will come to their ‘rescue' on tariffs," Trump wrote on social media.
"Because of their serious misrepresentation of the facts and hostile act, I am increasing the tariff on Canada by 10% over and above what they are paying now."
The Ontario government pulled the ad after Trump's criticism, though it aired during Friday's World Series opener between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers, reported The New York Times.
Trump had already suspended trade talks with Canada earlier in the week, calling the ad a "hostile act."
Canada Stays Measured As Trade Talks Stall
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney declined to directly address the controversy before departing for the ASEAN summit in Malaysia, but emphasized that discussions between the two nations had been "detailed, constructive."
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Trade Tensions Rise Over Reagan Ad And Tariffs
Ontario paused a U.S. television ad featuring Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs after it aired during the first two World Series games.
On Friday, Premier Doug Ford said the ad aimed to spark dialogue on tariffs' effects on businesses and workers and confirmed it would end to resume trade talks with the U.S.
President Trump halted trade negotiations after the Reagan Foundation said the ad misrepresented Reagan's speech, calling it "FAKE" and accusing Canada of imposing unfair tariffs on American farmers.
The Supreme Court was set to hear a case in early November on whether Trump could legally impose broad tariffs without Congress. A ruling against him could remove up to 70% of the tariffs.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock/ IAB Studio
