President Trump has canceled all trade talks with Canada, citing a “fake” advertisement from Ontario that featured former president Ronald Reagan . Trump made the announcement on his truth social platform.
He accused Canada of “egregious behavior” and attempting to meddle in US court decisions regarding his global tariffs. Secretary of state Marco Rubio confirmed the suspension of negotiations.
The one-minute ad, aimed at a US audience, uses Reagan’s 1987 warning that “trade barriers hurt every American worker.” It was launched by Ontario premier Doug Ford to protest US tariffs, which were recently hiked to 35%.
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute also took issue with the ad. In a post on x, the foundation said permission was not granted and that the “selective audio and video” misrepresents Reagan’s full message.
In the full 1987 speech, Reagan was defending his own tariffs on Japanese semiconductors while simultaneously warning about the general dangers of protectionism, a context the ad omitted.