Ontario pulls anti-tariff Reagan ad after Trump ends Canada trade talks

Tensions flared between Washington and Ottawa after US President Donald Trump abruptly terminated all trade negotiations with Canada, citing a controversial television ad sponsored by the Ontario government that used words from US President Ronald Reagan to criticise American tariffs.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford later confirmed the ad would be withdrawn following discussions with Prime Minister Mark Carney, as both leaders sought to calm a rapidly escalating diplomatic dispute.

Trump’s decision came late Thursday night in a post on his social media platform, in which he accused Canada of "fraudulently" using Reagan’s words to influence an upcoming US Supreme Court case on tariffs. The president said the ad distorted Reagan’s stance on trade and was part of a wider attempt by Canada to interfere in America’s internal affairs.

"CANADA CHEATED AND GOT CAUGHT!!!" Trump wrote. "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."

The ad, paid for by Ontario’s government, featured clips of Reagan’s 1987 radio address opposing protectionism. It was intended to highlight the economic harm of tariffs and was part of a $54 million campaign airing across several major US television networks, including during Game 1 of the World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers.

FORD AGREES TO PULL AD, SAYS GOAL ACHIEVED

Responding to Trump’s remarks, Ford initially defended the campaign, saying it aimed to "initiate a conversation" about the economic costs of tariffs. But by Friday afternoon, he said the ad would be taken down starting Monday to allow trade discussions to resume.

"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. "We’ve achieved our goal, having reached US audiences at the highest levels."

He added that after speaking with Prime Minister Carney, the province agreed to "pause the advertising campaign" to give diplomacy a chance.

The ad had already drawn criticism from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, which said the material "misrepresents the ‘Presidential Radio Address to the Nation on Free and Fair Trade’ dated April 25, 1987." The foundation said Ontario had not obtained permission to use or edit Reagan’s remarks and was "reviewing legal options."

Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada remained committed to finding a solution on tariffs, despite the US decision to suspend talks. Speaking before departing for the ASEAN summit in Malaysia, which Trump is also expected to attend, Carney said, "We can’t control the trade policy of the United States. We recognise that that policy has fundamentally changed from the 1980s."

Carney recently announced plans to double Canada’s exports to countries outside the US to reduce dependency on American markets, a move that has irked Washington. White House officials said Trump’s outburst reflected long-standing frustration over Canada’s trade strategy and the perception that Ottawa had been too slow to make concessions in tariff negotiations.

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With inputs form agencies