President Donald J. Trump terminated all trade negotiations with Canada following a contentious media campaign orchestrated by the Ontario provincial government, which aired anti-tariff advertisements featuring manipulated audio of former President Ronald Reagan. The move came after Trump accused the province of exploiting Reagan’s legacy to undermine U.S. tariff policies.
The Ontario government funded television spots that selectively edited Reagan’s 1987 speech on trade, altering his remarks to suggest opposition to tariffs. In the ads, Reagan’s words were rearranged to warn against “high tariffs” and their potential to trigger “trade wars,” despite Reagan’s broader context of advocating for balanced trade practices. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation condemned the campaign as fraudulent, stating the government had neither sought nor received permission to use or edit the audio.
Trump responded via social media, labeling the ads “FAKE” and asserting that the Ontario government sought to interfere with U.S. judicial decisions. He emphasized the importance of tariffs for national security and the economy, declaring, “Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.”
This is not the first instance of Ontario’s involvement in trade disputes with the U.S. Earlier this year, Premier Doug Ford faced pressure to abandon retaliatory energy tariffs imposed on American goods, following intervention from the Trump administration. The latest escalation highlights growing tensions between Canada’s provincial leaders and U.S. trade policies.
