U.S. President Donald Trump says he’s ending all trade talks with Canada because of a new Ontario government ad that uses former president Ronald Reagan’s voice to criticize tariffs.
In a late-night post on his Truth Social account, Trump called the ad “fraudulent and fake,” claiming it was from Canada as a whole, not Ontario.
“TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY, AND ECONOMY, OF THE U.S.A.,” Trump wrote. “Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.”
Just two weeks ago, after Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Trump at the White House, both sides had been working toward a deal on steel, aluminum, and energy. Sources say Canada’s federal government was informed of Trump’s decision shortly before his post.
The ad that angered Trump comes from Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government. It includes a one-minute clip from Reagan’s 1987 radio speech about free trade. In it, Reagan warns that tariffs often cause trade wars, job losses, and economic collapse.
Earlier in the week, Trump had commented on the ad but didn’t seem as upset. Speaking to Republicans at the White House, he said, “I saw an ad last night from Canada. If I was Canada, I’d take that same ad also.”
A few hours before Trump’s late-night post, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute said Ontario had not asked permission to use or edit the former president’s remarks and was considering legal action.
Ford’s office responded that the ad used an unedited, public-domain recording. “Reagan clearly warned that tariffs hurt the U.S. economy and working families,” a spokesperson said. “He supported free and fair trade between Canada and America.”
Ontario is spending $75 million on the ad campaign, which is airing across U.S. networks like Fox News, Bloomberg, and ABC. It has already appeared in the Washington, D.C., area during major broadcasts, including Game 7 of the American League Championship Series.
Trade talks between the two countries had been underway in Washington for the past two weeks, with Canadian officials saying progress was being made.
Trump also claimed the ad was meant to “interfere” with an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case that will look at his use of emergency powers to impose tariffs on Canada and other countries.
This isn’t the first time Ontario’s actions have upset Trump. Earlier this year, Ford’s plan to add a surcharge on electricity exports to the U.S. led Trump to threaten doubling tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum. Ontario backed down, and Trump dropped his threat—though he later raised the tariffs to 50 per cent in June.
