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Ontario’s Reagan Ad Sparks Trade Tensions with Trump Administration
A Canadian advertising campaign featuring former President Ronald Reagan’s anti-tariff rhetoric has ignited diplomatic tensions with the United States, culminating in threats of increased tariffs from President Donald Trump.
The controversy centers on a $75 million ad campaign authorized by Ontario Premier Doug Ford on October 14. The advertisement, which Ford described as “factual” rather than “nasty,” features audio of Reagan speaking against tariffs. The ad was strategically targeted to air in “every Republican district” across the United States.
Trump responded forcefully on October 23 through his Truth Social platform, denouncing the ad as “FAKE” and claiming it was designed to “interfere with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court,” which is scheduled to hear arguments challenging some of Trump’s tariff policies on November 5. The former president announced he had terminated all trade negotiations with Canada as a result.
“They cheated on a commercial,” Trump told reporters on October 24. “Ronald Reagan loved tariffs and they said he didn’t. And I guess it was AI or something. They cheated badly. Canada got caught cheating on a commercial, can you believe it?”
Following the backlash, Premier Ford announced on October 24 that the ad would be paused effective October 27, after it had already aired during the first two World Series games. Ford stated the intention was “to initiate a conversation about the kind of economy that Americans want to build and the impact of tariffs on workers and businesses,” adding, “We’ve achieved our goal, having reached U.S. audiences at the highest levels.”
Trump escalated the situation the following day, announcing a 10% increase in tariffs on Canadian imports – though economists note that tariffs are actually paid by U.S. importers, not foreign countries.
At issue is whether the Ontario ad accurately represented Reagan’s views. The one-minute spot includes Reagan saying: “When someone says, ‘Let’s impose tariffs on foreign imports,’ it looks like they’re doing the patriotic thing by protecting American products and jobs… But over the long run, such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer.”
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute objected to the ad, posting on X that Ontario “created an ad campaign using selective audio and video” that “misrepresents the Presidential Radio Address” from April 25, 1987. The foundation noted that permission was neither sought nor granted to use and edit Reagan’s remarks.
An analysis of the original speech shows that while the ad rearranged the order of Reagan’s comments, it largely preserved intact sentences. The ad omits that Reagan was specifically addressing Japanese semiconductor trade practices at the time, when he imposed targeted tariffs in response to what he called “unfair trade practices that violated an agreement.”
Historians and economists acknowledge that Reagan’s trade policies were more nuanced than either pure free trade rhetoric or protectionist tendencies would suggest. Daniel Griswold, formerly of the Cato Institute, noted that Reagan “championed free trade while selectively deviating from it,” negotiating import quotas for steel and Japanese cars while imposing certain tariffs.
Steve Hanke, who served as a senior economist on Reagan’s Council of Economic Advisers, acknowledged “a huge gap between rhetoric and reality” in Reagan’s trade policies. However, Hanke maintains that Trump’s embrace of tariffs fundamentally differs from Reagan’s approach, telling Canada’s CTV News that Trump “doesn’t really know what he’s talking about” when claiming Reagan loved tariffs.
The diplomatic incident highlights ongoing tensions in U.S.-Canada trade relations and underscores the political sensitivities surrounding tariff policies as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear related arguments next month.
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8 Comments
Leveraging Reagan’s reputation to criticize current tariff policies is a bold move by the Ontario government. It will be important to see how the public and policymakers respond to this campaign.
I wonder if this type of ad campaign could backfire and actually strengthen support for the current administration’s trade policies.
The use of Reagan’s rhetoric against tariffs is a clever tactic, but the Trump administration’s strong response suggests they see it as a serious political threat. This could escalate into a broader trade dispute.
I’m surprised to hear that Trump claimed Reagan supported tariffs, as that seems to contradict the historical record. It will be important to fact-check these claims.
This situation highlights the complex and often politically charged nature of trade policy. It will be interesting to see how the Supreme Court ruling impacts the ongoing tensions between Canada and the US.
This ad campaign underscores the continued relevance of trade policy in North American politics. It will be worth following how this situation unfolds and its potential impact on future trade negotiations.
This is an interesting case study on the use of historical figures in political messaging. It will be telling to see how the Supreme Court rules on the tariff policies in question.
I’m curious to hear more about the specifics of Reagan’s stance on tariffs and how it differs from the current administration’s position.