Trump Cuts Off Canada Negotiations Over Reagan-Inspired Ad Criticizing Tariffs
U.S. President Donald Trump has abruptly terminated trade negotiations with Canada after a political advertisement from Ontario used the recorded voice of late U.S. President Ronald Reagan, criticising tariffs as harmful to workers and the economy.
“Based on their egregious behaviour, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday, calling the ad “fraudulent.”
The move comes months after Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminium, and autos, prompting retaliatory sanctions from Canada. Talks between the countries had been ongoing for weeks to resolve the dispute.
The controversial video, produced by Ontario’s provincial government, used Reagan’s voice saying tariffs cause “job losses and trade wars.” The ad spliced together five sentences from a 1987 presidential radio address, edited out of sequence.
“When someone says, ‘Let’s impose tariffs on imports,’ it looks like they’re doing the patriotic thing by protecting American products and jobs,” Reagan says in the ad. “And sometimes for a short while it works, but only for a short time.”
He continues: “…over the long run such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer,” and warns that the result of trade wars is that “Markets shrink and collapse; businesses and industries shut down; and millions of people lose their jobs.”
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation accused Ontario of using “selective audio and video,” saying it “did not seek nor receive permission to use and edit the remarks.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he knew the ad had caught Trump’s attention. “I heard that the president heard our ad. I’m sure he wasn’t too happy,” he said.
