US President Donald Trump criticized Canada for engaging in “dirty” tactics on Friday, as a dispute over an advertisement featuring former leader Ronald Reagan, which led Trump to cancel trade discussions, showed no signs of resolution.
The Canadian province of Ontario announced it would remove the controversial anti-tariff advertisement on Monday to facilitate the resumption of negotiations, following Trump’s claim that the ad misrepresented the opinions of fellow Republican Reagan.
However, Trump appeared resolute, asserting that Ontario should not have allowed the ad to air during the initial two games of this weekend’s World Series.
Adding to the tension, the World Series includes a Canadian team, the Toronto Blue Jays, competing against a US team, the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Blue Jays decisively defeated the Dodgers 11-4 in the first game on Friday.
“Canada got caught cheating on a commercial, can you believe it?” Trump remarked to reporters before departing for a trip to Asia.
“And I heard they were pulling the ad — I didn’t know they were putting it on a little bit more. They could have pulled it tonight,” Trump continued.
After a reporter mentioned that the ad would be removed on Monday, Trump responded: “That’s dirty play. But I can play dirtier than they can.”
On Thursday, Trump declared on his Truth Social network that he had “terminated” all negotiations with Canada regarding what he termed the “fake” ad campaign.
Less than 24 hours later, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced he would suspend the ads after discussing the escalating dispute with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
“In speaking with Prime Minister Carney, Ontario will pause its US advertising campaign effective Monday so that trade talks can resume,” Ford stated in a post on X.
– ‘Crooked ad’ –
The Canadian advertisement referenced quotes from a radio address on trade delivered by Reagan in 1987, where he cautioned about the potential consequences that high tariffs on foreign imports could impose on the US economy.
It mentioned Reagan stating that “high tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars,” a statement that aligns with a transcript of his speech available on the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library’s website.
On Thursday, the Ronald Reagan Foundation posted on X that the Ontario government had utilized “selective audio and video” and that it was evaluating its legal options.
On Friday night, Trump described the advertisement as a “crooked ad,” asserting that “they know Ronald Reagan loved tariffs.”
Both Trump and Carney are scheduled to attend a dinner during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in South Korea on Wednesday.
However, Trump indicated that he had no intention of meeting with Carney.
This latest development in US-Canada relations occurred just over two weeks after Carney’s visit to Trump at the White House, where he sought a relaxation of stringent US tariffs.
On Friday, Carney attempted to ease tensions, stating that his country was prepared to resume “progress” on trade discussions “when the Americans are ready.”
Carney emphasized that Canada must “focus on what we can control, and recognize what we cannot control,” as he departed for Asia.
Trump’s global sectoral tariffs — especially on steel, aluminum, and automobiles — have severely impacted Canada, resulting in job losses and straining businesses.
Currently, the United States and Canada are bound by an existing North American trade agreement known as the USMCA, which guarantees that approximately 85 percent of cross-border trade in both directions remains free of tariffs.
Nevertheless, in a speech on Wednesday, Carney remarked that the United States has increased “its tariffs to levels last seen during the Great Depression.”
Carney further stated, “Our economic strategy needs to change dramatically,” adding that the transition “will require some sacrifices and some time.”
