President Donald Trump has announced trade talks with Canada will cease, claiming the country “fraudulently” used an ad featuring the late Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about tariffs.
“The Ronald Reagan Foundation has just announced that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about Tariffs,” Trump wrote on Truth Social late Thursday night.
He continued: “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.”
Trump’s post came shortly after the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute released a statement, saying the Government of Ontario created an ad campaign “using selective audio and video” of Reagan that “misrepresents” a 1987 radio address from the former president.
The foundation added that the Government of Ontario did not get permission to use or edit the remarks, and that it is “reviewing its legal options.”
In the ad, posted on X by Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, last Thursday, Reagan can be heard saying in a voiceover, “ When someone says, let’s impose tariffs on foreign imports, it looks like they’re doing the patriotic thing by protecting American products and jobs... But over the long run, such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer. High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars.”
“ There’s a growing realization that the weight of prosperity for all nations is rejecting protectionist legislation and promoting fair and free competition. America’s jobs and growth are at stake.”
What was not included in the ad was Reagan defending his decision to put new tariffs on some Japanese products after the Asian country didn’t enforce their trade agreement with the U.S. on semiconductors.
“We had clear evidence that Japanese companies were engaging in unfair trade practices,” Reagan said at the time. “We expect our trading partners to live up to their agreements. As I’ve often said: our commitment to free trade is also a commitment to fair trade.”
The Independent has reached out to Ford’s office for comment.
The Trump administration has echoed Reagan’s sentiments in its global trade war.
When announcing Trump’s sweeping tariffs on April 2, which the president dubbed “Liberation Day,” the White House said, “President Trump refuses to let the United States be taken advantage of and believes that tariffs are necessary to ensure fair trade, protect American workers, and reduce the trade deficit.”
Ford said when launching Ontario’s ad campaign in the U.S., “The way to prosperity is by working together.”
Trump began sparring with Canada on tariffs shortly after his second term began. In early February, he put an additional 25 percent levy on nearly all goods from Canada, but the tariffs didn’t go into effect until early March. Canada imposed retaliatory tariffs.
In June, Trump imposed a 50 percent tariff on all steel and aluminum imports, of which Canada is a top supplier.
