Ontario Premier Doug Ford says his viral anti-tariff ad has already done its job — even though it caused U.S. President Donald Trump to cancel trade talks with Canada.
The ad, which used a speech by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan, was viewed over a billion times before it was taken down on Monday. Trump responded by threatening to raise tariffs on Canadian goods by 10 percent.
Ford said he removed the ad after talking with Prime Minister Mark Carney, who knew about the campaign before it launched. He said the goal now is to get trade talks with the U.S. back on track.
According to Ford, Canada’s premiers supported the message. “Mission accomplished,” he said. “People in the U.S. are talking about it now — and they weren’t before.” He added that Ontario just wants a fair trade deal, not one that only benefits Trump’s side.
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute criticized the ad, saying it changed Reagan’s words without permission.
While Trump’s threats made headlines, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the issue wasn’t a major focus for the administration. He noted that most Canadian exports are already protected under the USMCA trade deal, so new tariffs wouldn’t have much effect.
