President Donald Trump stated on Saturday that he was imposing an additional 10 percent tariff on imports of Canadian products in response to what he claims is a deceptive TV ad featuring former President Ronald Reagan speaking against tariffs.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that “Canada was caught, red handed, putting up a fraudulent advertisement in Ronald Reagan’s Speech on Tariffs.”
He penned that “Because of their serious misrepresentation of the facts, and hostile act, I am increasing the Tariff on Canada by 10% over and above what they are paying now.”
Canada typically levies a 35 percent tariff on goods, which has been sold in the U.S. to some exemptions over products that are subject to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, and to other specific exceptions, including steel and aluminum, which attract a 50 percent tariff.
On late Friday, Trump criticized the Ontario provincial government for planning to air the Reagan ad during the World Series before trade issues were resolved.
While preparing to fly to Asia, Trump remarked to reporters at the White House, “They could have pulled it tonight.”
He said, “Well, that’s dirty play. But I can play dirtier than they can, you know.”
Trump referred to the ad in his decision on Thursday night on trade negotiations with Canada.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced on Friday afternoon that he would halt the advertisement on Monday, allowing trade negotiations to restart.
Ford added that “I’ve directed my team to keep putting our message in front of Americans over the weekend so that we can air our commercial during the first two World Series games.”
Trump said on Friday night that he had heard that Ontario was withdrawing the ad. However, he also mentioned that he was not aware that the government was leaving it till Monday.
The advertisement was aired on Friday night during a broadcast of the first game of the World Series, which was watched by millions of Americans.
Canada Toronto Blue Jays overcame the U.S. Los Angeles Dodgers by a margin of 11-4 in that game.
In a tweet on early Friday, Ford stated that the halt of the ad was, “Our intention was always to initiate a conversation about the kind of economy that Americans want to build and the impact of tariffs on workers and businesses.”
By referring to Trump, he added, “We’ve achieved our goal, having reached U.S. audiences at the highest levels.”
He further said, “In speaking with Prime Minister [Mark] Carney, Ontario will pause its U.S. advertising campaign effective Monday so that trade talks can resume.”
Trump paused trade negotiations with Canada following allegations by The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute that the advertisement distorts the speech given by Ronald Reagan in an April 25, 1987, radio address and that the speech was distorted without his consent.
Meanwhile, the foundation placed the video of the speech on YouTube and suggested that people watch it in full. Therefore, Ford has responded to that criticism earlier Friday by tweeting a link to the same video.
Reagan talks about his recent introduction of new tariffs “on some Japanese products in response to Japan’s inability to enforce their trade agreement with us on electronic devices called semiconductors.”
The context is lacking in the Ontario ad; however, the ad correctly records Reagan stating, “Over the long run, such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer.”
The ad also includes Reagan, also in the same speech, 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. And sometimes, for a short while, it works — but only for a short time.”
Eventually, Reagan reported in his speech and ad that “High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars.”
Gradually, Ford, who addresses himself as a “big Ronald Reagan fan,” initially posted the ad on October 16 on X (Formerly known as Twitter), days after stating that the government of Ontario would spend $75 million to air the advertisement in the United States.
Ford said, “We’re going to repeat that message to every Republican district there is, right across the entire country.”
Thus, Trump was enraged by the advertisement in a post on Friday morning on Truth Social.
He wrote that “CANADA CHEATED AND GOT CAUGHT!!! They fraudulently took a big buy ad saying that Ronald Reagan did not like Tariffs, when actually he LOVED TARIFFS FOR OUR COUNTRY, AND ITS NATIONAL SECURITY.”
He also writes, “Canada is trying to illegally influence the United States Supreme Court in one of the most important rulings in the history of our Country. Canada has long cheated on Tariffs, charging our farmers as much as 400%. Now they, and other countries, can’t take advantage of the U.S. any longer. Thank you to the Ronald Reagan Foundation for exposing this FRAUD.”
Early November will see the Supreme Court hear oral arguments in a case that will decide whether Trump, under the law, had the power to impose blanket tariffs on scores of nations, including Canada, without congressional approval.
