Trump Ends Trade Talks With Canada Over Ontario’s ‘Fake’ Anti-Tariff Ad, UPDATE Added
“Using every tool we have, we’ll never stop making the case against American tariffs on Canada. The way to prosperity is by working together.”
President Donald Trump abruptly ended trade negotiations with Canada late Thursday after the Ontario government released a selectively edited anti-tariff ad. The ad features a one-minute clip from a five-minute radio address delivered by former President Ronald Reagan in April 1987, during which he advocates for free trade and criticizes the use of tariffs.
Trump’s decision came after the Ronald Reagan Foundation reported on X that the Ontario government had “created an ad campaign using “selective audio and video” from a 1987 Reagan radio address. The organization claimed that the ad “misrepresents” the former president’s full remarks. Additionally, the post notes that the Ontario government “did not seek nor receive permission to use and edit the remarks.”
Finally, the Foundation noted they are reviewing their legal options and encouraged readers to watch the full, “unedited video on our YouTube channel.”
Trump responded by announcing the termination of trade talks with Canada on Truth Social, claiming the ad was intended “to interfere with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court and other courts.” [Note: The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments next month in a case that could decide whether Trump has the authority to impose tariffs.]
He emphasized, “TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY. AND ECONOMY. OF THE U.S.A.”
President Trump ended all trade talks with Canada after it produced a “fake” $75 million Reagan ad aimed at influencing Supreme Court rulings on his tariff measures.
Follow: @AFpost pic.twitter.com/KoctIE9U5n
— AF Post (@AFpost) October 24, 2025
The CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) reported that the $75 million ad which features Reagan saying that “tariffs do not work in the long term,” is “aimed at Republican voters.”
According to the CBC:
Premier Doug Ford says Reagan, his favourite American president, will be easily identifiable for Republicans and they will hear the message that tariffs will end up hurting Americans.
The premier’s office says the ad will begin airing this week on Newsmax and Bloomberg.
Over the next two weeks it will also start airing on Fox News, Fox Sports, NBC, CBS, CNBC, ESPN and ABC as well as those networks’ local affiliates, and on the local stations of Comcast, Spectrum and Sinclair Group.
In a recent social media post, Ford vowed, “Using every tool we have, we’ll never stop making the case against American tariffs on Canada. The way to prosperity is by working together.”
Reagan’s full remarks, which can be viewed below, show the context in which they were made. Ahead of an upcoming visit from Japan’s then-Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, he expressed frustration over “Japan’s inability to enforce their trade agreement” with the U.S. on semiconductors — an issue that had prompted him to impose duties on those products the previous week.
Reagan noted that he was generally opposed to trade barriers, particularly over the long term, and went on to explain his reasoning. However, he said that in Japan’s case, the measures were necessary.
The Ontario ad, naturally, includes only the portion in which Reagan explains why he typically opposes tariffs — omitting the context of his qualified support for them in that instance.
As per the White House:
The current U.S. tariff on most Canadian imports is 35%, though there are some exceptions. A 10% tariff applies to energy products and potash, while goods that qualify for preferential treatment under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) are exempt from the additional tariffs. These tariffs went into effect on August 1, 2025.
While these tariffs may seem harsh to some, the Trump administration maintains that Canada has “failed to cooperate in curbing the ongoing flood of fentanyl and other illicit drugs” into the U.S. While most Americans are acutely aware of the drugs flowing into the country over our southern border, few realize that significant quantities of drugs enter the U.S. from the northern border as well.
You may recall that Trump unexpectedly terminated trade negotiations with Canada in late June. Canada had placed a digital services tax on U.S. technology companies — which was to be applied retroactively to 2022 — and was due to go into effect the following week. Trump called the tax a “direct and blatant attack on our Country.” He added that he would notify Canada within the next week “the Tariff that they will be paying to do business” with us.
Upon reflection, Canada rescinded the tax two days later.
We’ll see if or when the Ontario government pulls this ad.
Canada is America’s second largest trading partner (after Mexico). According to data from the Office of the U.S. Trading Representative, total goods traded between the U.S. and Canada in 2024 were “an estimated $762.1 billion.”
Update, Friday 4:30: Asked for comment on the situation before boarding a flight to Asia, Prime Minister Mark Carney said, “What we can control absolutely is how we build here at home. And that’s the focus of much of 2025 — generational investment here in Canada. And what we can also control or at least heavily influence is developing new partnerships and opportunities — including with the economic giants of Asia — which is the focus of this trip.”
BREAKING: Canadian PM Carney looks PANICKED after Trump ENDED all trade negotiations last night after the Reagan Foundation announcement.
He is DESPERATELY trying to find another country in Asia that will replace what America has been for Canada.
Canadians are SCREWED. pic.twitter.com/6gSWkxM3fq
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) October 24, 2025
Elizabeth writes commentary for Legal Insurrection and The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Please follow Elizabeth on X or LinkedIn.
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Comments
I’ve seen the ad, it’s effective, saw it on Fox
So the lie is effective.
Because Reagan was using tariffs exactly the same way Trump is.
Do effectively they had to lie to make it “effective”? 🤔 Can’t wait for BBC misinformation to be all over this one 😂😂
Thank you for “the rest of the story.” I saw the ad an new something was fishy about it.
Canada’s economy is imploding, all because they feel entitled to take advantage of America. This situation gives Canadian western provinces more reason to separate, in that they can quickly remove tariffs by leaving. Then Quebec can wallow in misery without western provinces money. They can kiss universal healthcare good by.
I feel sorry for politically conservative canadians in the smaller towns forced to live under socialist dictates of ottawa.
The idea is to cost your adversary more than it costs you to do it. Bargaining. The other force is mutual benefit in stopping, but perhaps more benefit to you than the other guy. There are always those two sides.
Go away.
Why the downvotes? This is entirely correct.
Tariffs as a long-term institution are counterproductive to prosperity. They can be justified only as an “insurance premium” designed to keep strategic manufacturing capability domestic. But tariffs as short-term economic warfare — the way Reagan and Trump used them — are highly valuable.
“Canadian PM Carney looks PANICKED after Trump ENDED all trade negotiations last night after the Reagan Foundation announcement… Canadians are SCREWED.”
And behold the power of tariffs.
Yes, that and opening a market and leveling costs so competition is fair (forcing Europe to open their car market to American car companies for example).
Anyone who believes an ad on TV is beyond hope. Do you not know it is to manipulate you and there is probably only a small amount of truth involved? Big pharma and political ads are the worst, but most omit many critical details that refute the ad.
Daisy as , Goldwater
Sunk him
“And a lie, Mr. Mulder, is most convincingly told between two truths.”
Deep Throat, The X Files
Ads are thinly veiled propaganda. Take a look at Edward Bernays.
I like my Canadian cousins as much as anyone but the truth of the matter is this, the GDP of the U.S. is tenfold that of Canada. There are three individual states that have economies larger than Canada’s. I’m pretty sure it was Churchill that said that nations do not have friends, they have interests. If the interests of the U.S. are not aligned with those of Canada, then we get up and walk away from the table until they do. As far as I am concerned, Canada has much larger and more existential problems to deal with than trade with the U.S.
No one is going to get upset about raising tariffs on Canada in the US except some poor loon who happens to be directly impacted. This is a waste of money and I don’t think Canada has any money to waste in this fashion.
Trump’s response might actually help Ontario. They can get some of their money back before the networks run all the spots.
I was told that Canada exists as a place where we can shoot down Russian Bombers and it won’t cause any damage.
Old joke. What is the Capital of Canada? Mostly American.
trump isnt perfect but he is pro america
maga!!
I don’t require perfection in my elected officials. Indeed, my primary metric is that htey must be pro-America. I don’t care about much of the rest.
As I’ve mentioned before, I’ll vote for a scoundrel who is pro-America before I’ll vote for a saint who isn’t.
Trump is doing the same thing Reagan did — using tariffs to force trading partners to remove their tariffs.
lefty: only we get to punch you in the face
lefty judges: only lefty gets to punch you in the face
patriots: our patience is wearing thin
Patriots: We suggest that you re-watch the Untouchables.
Here’s the thing: the ultimate goal is not the tariffs themselves, but using the threat of them as negotiating levers. They’re not intended to be “long term solutions”. They’re a “Big Stick” with which to beat common sense into the other fellow.
Mostly true, but Trump IS a believer in tariffs, especially on goods from adversaries/enemies.
Once one knew the sponsor of the ad, one knew that there was something amiss.
What conventional wisdom on tariffs does not factor in is how DJT uses tariffs as leverage to get something close to reciprocal tariff levies. Furthermore this is a successful strategy because of the dominance of the US market. The era of having the American manufacture and worker fleeced in the conformity to an economic bromide is over.
I saw the ad last night. My immediate reaction was “Reagan was speaking in an era in which other countries weren’t punishing us with their tariffs.” Turns out the entire speech addressed exactly such an unfair situation and that his response to it was “tariffs.” I was unsurprised to learn today that the ad, in toto, was deceptive by omission. Today, I’ve already twice heard local TV news report on this story. Neither report mentioned that Reagan’s speech had been selectively edited, only that Trump(!) declared it “misleading.” Lying by omission may be the most common form of disinformation.
The American press depends on lying by omission.
They also rely on a dearth of critical thinking amongst the masses.
After listening to Regan’s full 5 minute speech lying by omission was skillful and very deceptive but the Canadians certainly should have realized that the truth will bite them. it also struck me that adjusting tariffs has long been a tool used by Presidents in the service of foreign policy. (I”m sure that the Reagan example is only one of many cases where all of the modern presidents either raised or lowered tariffs..) DJT has taken this to new levels by simultaneously renegotiating trade with individual nations of the world. DJT is ambitious if nothing else. But the historical track record of setting tariffs to advance foreign policy objectives is long and well established. This has got to be a major consideration in the pending Supreme Court case on tariffs.
Canada will literally do ANYTHING other than just negotiate in good faith, won’t they?
I’m sure Canada will take the video to heart and start dismantling their tariff system. The reason we have having these discussion is a response to the high tariffs Canada puts on US goods. They want a system where their imports (goods going to Canada) are subject to high tariffs, but their exports (goods going to the US) are not.
Canada is looking to hook up with China and they know they’re a lot better off with a trade agreement with us instead. But only if the status quo trilateral agreement with the US and Mexico remains. Which Trump has no intention of renewing.
A pathetic last ditch effort is what this is.
“Additionally, the post notes that the Ontario government “did not seek nor receive permission to use and edit the remarks.”
Since when is there ANY sort of copyright on political speeches?
Ask Joe — he made a career out of stealing them.
Canada seems to be under the impression they are the ones calling the shots 😂
And also probably think everyone else will come save them from the big evil mean orange man next door 🙄
I guess if they really do want to FA then they surely will be deep in to the FO part shortly.
Maybe Kim Jong Un would be wiling to trade some spiffy caps and dirt of several different colors for some back bacon, blubber, and Molsons.
Dems were the party of reciprocal trade back in the 80s, they were the trade hawks. Dick Gephardt built his political career around the issue. The argued that one side can’t practice free trade if the other side won’t. Why have dems flipped on the issue to become free trade absolutists?