Trump Halts Trade Talks With Canada Over Ontario Ad Quoting Ronald Reagan

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced the termination of all trade negotiations with Canada, citing outrage over an Ontario government advertisement that repurposes the late President Ronald Reagan’s words to criticize tariffs.

In a late-night post on his Truth Social platform, Trump slammed the ad as “fraudulent and fake,” accusing Canada mistakenly, as the ad originated from the Ontario provincial government of misusing Reagan’s legacy for political messaging.

“TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY, AND ECONOMY, OF THE U.S.A.,” Trump wrote. “Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.”

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute also condemned the ad, saying it misrepresented Reagan’s remarks and that Ontario officials had not sought permission to use or alter them.

The 60-second television spot, released by Premier Doug Ford’s government, features an excerpt from Reagan’s April 1987 radio address, where the late president warned against the dangers of protectionism.

“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,” Reagan’s voice says in the ad. “High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars. Then the worst happens. Markets shrink and collapse, businesses and industry shut down, and millions of people lose their jobs.”

The ad, aimed at American audiences, urges reconsideration of the Trump administration’s tariff-heavy approach a message that appears to have struck a nerve in Washington.

According to a senior Canadian government source, Ottawa was informed of Trump’s decision to end trade talks shortly before his social media post went live Thursday night.

The move comes just two weeks after Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to the White House, where Trump had directed senior cabinet officials to finalize a deal with Canada covering steel, aluminum, and energy.

Trump reportedly viewed the Ontario ad earlier in the week but initially responded mildly, even joking about it at a Republican gathering.

“I saw an ad last night from Canada,” he said at the time. “If I was Canada, I’d take that same ad also. But I do believe that everybody’s too smart for that.”

His latest reversal, however, signals a sharp escalation in tensions between Washington and Ottawa and injects uncertainty into a trade relationship already strained by protectionist policies and political theater.

As of Friday morning, neither Prime Minister Carney’s office nor Ontario’s government had issued an official response.