An advertisement featuring the words of former President Ronald Reagan has stirred controversy, prompting a strong reaction from Donald Trump. The ad, which criticized U.S. tariffs, led Trump to announce a halt in trade discussions with Canada. Ontario Premier Doug Ford, responding to the backlash, announced plans to withdraw the ad after the weekend. It first aired on Friday night during the World Series opener.
“Their Advertisement was to be taken down, IMMEDIATELY, but they let it run last night during the World Series, knowing that it was a FRAUD,” Trump exclaimed in a post on his Truth Social platform while en route to Malaysia aboard Air Force One. He further declared, “Because of their serious misrepresentation of the facts, and hostile act, I am increasing the Tariff on Canada by 10 per cent over and above what they are paying now.”
The specifics of how Trump intends to implement this tariff increase remain unclear, with questions surrounding the legal grounds for such a move. The White House has yet to provide a comment on the timeline for the proposed tariff hike or clarify whether it will affect all Canadian imports.
“Because of their serious misrepresentation of the facts, and hostile act, I am increasing the Tariff on Canada by 10 per cent over and above what they are paying now.â
It was unclear what legal authority Trump would use to impose the additional import taxes.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on when the 10 per cent hike would come into effect, and whether it would apply to all Canadian goods.
Canada’s economy has been hit hard by Trump’s tariffs, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has been trying to work with Trump to lower them.
More than three-quarters of Canadian exports go to the U.S., and nearly $3.6 billion Canadian ($3.9 billion AUD) worth of goods and services cross the border daily.
A spokesperson for Carney didnât immediately respond to a request for comment.
Many Canadian products have been hit with a 35 per cent tariff, while steel and aluminium face rates of 50 per cent.
Energy products have a lower rate of 10 per cent, while the vast majority of goods are covered by the U.S.-Canada-Mexico Agreement, and are exempt from tariffs.
That trade agreement is slated for review. Trump negotiated the deal in his first term, but has since soured on it.
Trump and Carney will both attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Malaysia. But Trump told reporters traveling with him that he had no intention of meeting Carney there.
Trump said the ad misrepresented the position of Reagan, a two-term president and a beloved figure in the Republican Party. But Reagan was wary of tariffs and used much of the 1987 address featured in Ontario’s ad spelling out the case against tariffs.
Trump has complained the ad was aimed at influencing the U.S. Supreme Court ahead of arguments scheduled for next month that could decide whether Trump has the power to impose his sweeping tariffs, a key part of his economic strategy.
Lower courts had ruled he had exceeded his authority.
