By ROB GILLIES, Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) — The leader of Canada’s most populous province posted remarks by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan on social media on Friday showing Reagan opposed tariffs, hours after President Donald Trump announced he’s ending “all trade negotiations” with Canada because of a television ad that Trump said misstates Reagan’s opposition to tariffs.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford didn’t back down and said Canada and the U.S. are friends, neighbors and allies “and Reagan knew that both are stronger together.” Ford then provided a link to a Reagan speech where the late president voices opposition to tariffs.
On Thursday Trump posted, “The Ronald Reagan Foundation has just announced that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about Tariffs.”
Trump doubled down on his criticism of the Ontario ads again on Friday and accused Canada of trying to influence an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court ruling on his global tariff regime.
Trump’s call for an abrupt end to negotiations has further inflamed trade tensions between the neighbors and longtime allies.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said this week he aims to double his country’s exports to countries outside the U.S. because of the threat posed by Trump’s tariffs. Canadian officials remain ready to continue talks to reduce tariffs in certain sectors, he said.
“We can’t control the trade policy of the United States. We recognize that that policy has fundamentally changed from the 1980s,” Carney said Friday morning before boarding a flight to Asia. “We have to focus on what we can control and realize what we can’t control.”
Carney is trying to secure a trade deal with Trump, but tariffs are taking a toll, particularly in the aluminum, steel, auto and lumber sectors.
The Ontario government paid about $75 million Canadian (US$54 million) for the ads to air across multiple American television stations using audio and video of former president Reagan speaking about tariffs in 1987.
Earlier Thursday night, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute posted on X that an ad created by the government of Ontario “misrepresents the ‘Presidential Radio Address to the Nation on Free and Fair Trade’ dated April 25, 1987.” It added that Ontario did not receive foundation permission “to use and edit the remarks.”
The foundation said it is “reviewing legal options in this matter” and invited the public to watch the unedited video of Reagan’s address.
Ford said earlier this week he had heard that Trump had seen the ad.
“I’m sure he wasn’t too happy,” Ford said.
Ford has said the aim is to “blast” the pro-trade message to Americans, particularly Republican districts.
“It’s real, because it was coming from the best president the country’s ever seen, Ronald Reagan,” Ford said. “I feel the Reagan Republicans are going to be fighting with the MAGA group, and let’s hope, Reagan Republicans win.”
Ford is a populist conservative who doesn’t belong to the same party as Carney, a Liberal.
Trump has been threatening Canada’s economy and sovereignty with tariffs, most offensively by claiming Canada could be “the 51st state.”
Jason Kenney, a former Conservative cabinet minister under ex-Prime Minister Stephen Harper, called Trump’s posts “just embarrassing.”
“The Ontario ad does not misrepresent President Reagan’s anti-tariff radio address in any respect whatsoever. It is a direct replay of his radio address, formatted for a one minute ad,” Kenney posted on social media.
“Everything that Reagan said in his pro-free trade April, 1987 radio message is consistent with the ad. In fact, everything he ever said about trade, before and after becoming President, is consistent with his principled opposition to tariffs.”
Kenney also took aim at the Reagan foundation.
“They know perfectly well that the Ontario ad captures precisely President Reagan’s opposition to tariffs, and support for free trade. But it is obvious that the Foundation now has gormless leadership which is easily intimidated by a call from the White House, yet another sign of the hugely corrosive influence of Trump on the American conservative movement,” he posted.