The ad used the words of ex-President Reagan to criticise the tariffs being imposed by the federal government, which angered Trump who had earlier said his administration would end trade talks with Canada. (AP Photo) Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney revealed that he had urged Ontario Premier Doug Ford not to air an anti-tariff advertisement in the US that provoked President Donald Trump to end trade talks with Canada.
Carney said he apologised to Trump during a dinner at the APEC summit, acknowledging that the president was “offended” by the ad, which used a 1987 Ronald Reagan speech to criticise tariffs. Despite warnings, Ford went ahead, airing it during the first two World Series games before pulling it last Monday. Trump has since vowed to raise tariffs on Canadian imports by another 10%.
Carney said managing US relations is a federal responsibility and hinted at tensions between his Liberal government and Ford’s Conservative leadership. He also noted that Canada must reduce its economic dependence on the US, with new measures expected in the federal budget on November 4 to strengthen and diversify the economy.
The ad controversy comes amid Trump’s renewed push for tariffs, which Canadian industries like steel, aluminum, auto, and lumber say are already straining trade worth nearly 3.6 billion Canadian dollars daily across the border.
What the ad was about
Released on October 16, the Ontario government’s advertisement criticised US President Donald Trump’s tariffs by quoting a 1987 radio address from former US President Ronald Reagan. In the clip, Reagan warned that tariffs “hurt every American,” a message used in the ad to highlight the economic drawbacks of protectionism.
The 60-second spot cost around $75 million and was aired during primetime on major US networks including Fox, ESPN, and Bloomberg.
Trump’s reaction to the ad
The ad sparked immediate outrage from Trump, who announced on Truth Social that he was ending all trade negotiations with Canada. Although Ontario Premier Doug Ford initially assured that the ad would be pulled to allow talks to resume, it continued to air across the US over the weekend, including during the World Series games. In response, Trump declared an additional 10 per cent tariff on Canadian goods.
After a dinner meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in South Korea, Trump described their conversation as “very nice” but confirmed that trade talks would not resume.
‘Best ad I ever ran’
Despite the backlash, Ford defended the campaign, calling it the “best ad I ever ran.” He claimed Trump’s anger proved the ad’s impact. “You know why President Trump is so upset right now? It was because it was effective,” Ford said.
