(UPDATE: Oct. 24 at 11:47 am): Doug Ford has said he'll "pause" its advertisement featuring Ronald Reagan after "speaking with Prime Minister Carney."
He did it "so that trade talks can resume."
The Ontario premier said his "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."
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. We've achieved our goal, having reached U.S. audiences at the highest levels. I've directed my team to keep putting our…
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) October 24, 2025
"We've achieved our goal, having reached U.S. audiences at the highest levels," he wrote in a social media post.
But he added that he's still given instructions that the ad be played over the weekend "so that we can air our commercial during the first two World Series games."
(Original story: Oct. 24 at 6:30 am): Donald Trump has once again shut down trade talks with Canada, this time because of an advertisement featuring Ronald Reagan.
Trump said Ontario’s $75 million ad campaign – which includes a 1987 clip of the former president denouncing tariffs and protectionism – was “FAKE.”
“They only did this to interfere with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, and other courts,” the president wrote on Truth Social.
“TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY, AND ECONOMY, OF THE U.S.A. Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.”
Trump spoke positively about the same ad campaign just three days ago, however, saying he would do the same thing if he was in Ontario’s position.
He linked his outburst to a statement from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, which asserts the right to protect the late president’s legacy. The organization claimed the ad “misrepresents” Reagan’s speech, and attacked Ontario for failing to request permission to use the broadcast (which is in the public domain).
Ontario, the group said, edited the speech, while Trump, ignoring that the ad was put out by a province, wrote in a separate Truth Social post: “CANADA CHEATED AND GOT CAUGHT!!!”
The president added: “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.”
He also asserted that “Canada is trying to illegally influence” the US Supreme Court in its upcoming ruling on the legality of Trump’s tariff regime, and repeated his criticism of Canada’s dairy management system.
Canada and the United States are friends, neighbours and allies. President Ronald Reagan knew that we are stronger together.
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) October 24, 2025
God bless Canada and God bless the United States.https://t.co/n1Nj6ofNZU
Reagan, like most Republicans of his generation, was strongly in favour of free trade, though he did move to protect American industry on a few occasions during his time as president.
That included action on steel, pasta, motorcycles, semiconductors, sugar and cars.
Reagan was also the president who signed the 1988 Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement, which was the forerunner to NAFTA and CUSMA.
The ad did not change anything Reagan said in his 1987 address to the American people, but did play excerpts in a different order to the original broadcast.
Mark Carney commented on Trump's statement in a brief address to the media this morning before boarding a plane to Malaysia.
The prime minister did not respond directly to Trump's comments, but said: "For months, we have stressed the importance of distinguishing things we can control and things we can't control. We can't control the trade policy of the United States. We recognize that that policy has fundamentally changed from the policy in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s."
He added that his staff have been working on "detailed, constructive negotiations" with the US and "a lot of progress has been made."
"We stand ready to pick up on that progress and build on that progress when the Americans are ready to have those discussions," Carney said.
Mark Carney promised to “negotiate a win” with President Trump and to get a deal by July 21st. Still no deal. Still no win.
— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) October 24, 2025
Liberal elbows gone. U.S. tariffs up. Jobs headed south.
Earlier this month, he enjoyed a chummy meeting with the president in the White House, with Trump praising the prime minister’s “world-class” leadership and suggesting a deal that would make Canadians “love us again” was forthcoming.
Ford, meanwhile, has not responded to Trump by name, but did write on X this morning: “Canada and the United States are friends, neighbours and allies. President Ronald Reagan knew that we are stronger together.”
The leader of the opposition, Pierre Poilievre, also reacted this morning, saying there was "still no deal" and "still no win."
He added: "Liberal elbows gone. U.S. tariffs up. Jobs headed south."
