Early this morning, President Trump announced the suspension of all trade discussions with Canada after discovering an advertisement featuring a manipulated audio clip of Ronald Reagan, which was used to oppose his tariffs ahead of a significant Supreme Court decision. The ad falsely attributed statements to Reagan that contradicted his known stance on tariffs.
Trump criticized the campaign on Truth Social, stating: “CANADA CHEATED AND GOT CAUGHT!!! They fraudulently took a big buy ad saying that Ronald Reagan did not like Tariffs, when actually he LOVED TARIFFS FOR OUR COUNTRY, AND ITS NATIONAL SECURITY. Canada is trying to illegally influence the United States Supreme Court in one of the most important rulings in the history of our Country. Canada has long cheated on Tariffs, charging our farmers as much as 400%. Now they, and other countries, can’t take advantage of the U.S. any longer.”
Hours after Trump’s statement, Ontario Premier Doug Ford confirmed the ad would be removed. “BREAKING – TRUMP WINS: Ontario, Canada Premier Doug Ford is PULLING the ad that used Ronald Reagan to argue against President Trump’s tariffs ahead of the Supreme Court ruling,” reported AP. The ad was set to air during the World Series but will be officially taken down on Monday.
Ford stated the decision followed discussions with Prime Minister Mark Carney, aiming to resume trade talks. “Our intention was always to initiate a conversation about the kind of economy that Americans want to build and the impact of tariffs on workers and businesses,” Ford said. The ad, produced by Ontario’s government, featured a distorted version of Reagan’s 1987 speech, which was cut to misrepresent his views on trade policies.
The Ronald Reagan Foundation condemned the audio as fraudulent, noting it had been “cut, spliced, and misrepresented.” A comparison of the ad and Reagan’s original address revealed key omissions, including his emphasis on protecting American jobs through tariffs and his warnings against unilateral trade restrictions.
Trump terminated trade negotiations in a late-night post, accusing Canada of attempting to sway the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential tariff authority. The controversy highlights tensions over trade policies and the use of historical figures to influence public perception. No immediate response from Trump on resuming talks has been reported.
