U.S. President Donald Trump has announced he is terminating trade negotiations with Canada after expressing outrage over a new Ontario government advertising campaign protesting American tariffs.
In a social media post Thursday night, Trump called the ads “egregious,” saying they misrepresented the United States’ position on trade. The campaign, funded by the Government of Ontario, aired on several U.S. television networks and featured footage of former president Ronald Reagan speaking about tariffs in a 1987 address.
Earlier in the day, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute criticized the ads, claiming they distorted Reagan’s original message and announcing that it was exploring legal options. The foundation urged viewers to watch the full, unedited speech for context.
Responding to the controversy, Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s office defended the ads, stating that Reagan was a “strong supporter of free and fair trade between Canada and the United States.”
The move adds fresh tension to already fragile trade relations between Ottawa and Washington, as the two sides struggle to resolve ongoing tariff disputes under President Trump’s administration.