In a surprising turn of events, President Donald Trump has abruptly halted all trade discussions with Canada.
The decision, announced late Thursday, comes in response to a Canadian advertisement that, according to Trump, misrepresented the tariff views of former President Ronald Reagan. The advertisement, which cost $75,000, was part of an Ontario-based campaign and featured a selectively edited clip of Reagan speaking about tariffs.
"The Ronald Reagan Foundation has just announced that Canada fraudulently used a fake advertisement featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about tariffs, Trump declared on Truth Social. The ad was meant to interfere with court decisions.
Tariffs are very important to the national security and economy of the U.S.A. Based on their egregious behavior, all trade negotiations with Canada are hereby terminated.
As reported by The Post Millennial, the contentious advertisement showcased Reagan criticizing tariffs, suggesting they might seem patriotic but ultimately hurt every American worker and consumer and lead to fierce trade wars and lost jobs.
However, the Reagan Foundation has condemned the ad for its lack of context. The foundation pointed out that Reagan, while generally favoring free trade, acknowledged the necessity of tariffs in certain situations, such as trading semiconductors with Japan.
In a statement, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute expressed their disapproval, stating, "The Government of Ontario, Canada, created an ad campaign using selective audio and video of Ronald Reagan delivering his Address to the Nation on Free and Fair Trade, dated April 25, 1987.
The ad misrepresents the Presidential Radio Address, and the Government of Ontario did not seek nor receive permission to use and edit the remarks."
The foundation also revealed that it is currently exploring its legal options in response to the ad, and encouraged viewers to watch the unedited version of Reagan's speech on their YouTube channel.
This sudden shift in Trump's stance towards Canada is a stark contrast to the amicable tone he displayed just weeks ago. Earlier this month, during a joint press appearance with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the White House, Trump hinted at a potential new trade agreement between the two nations. He optimistically told reporters, Were going to be talking about tariffs, about trade, about a lot of things, but thats for a little later on, adding that Canadians would love us again once an agreement was finalized.
Trump also lauded Carney as a great man and a world-class leader, and highlighted their shared commitment to peace in the Middle East. Theres a real chance for an agreement to be reached, Trump said. Our team is over there now. Literally every country in the world supports our plan. When asked about the delay in finalizing a deal with Canada, Trump humorously responded, Because I want to be a great man too.
Prior to this announcement, the U.S. and Canada were actively negotiating to reduce the 50 percent U.S. tariffs on Canadian aluminum. These discussions were also seen as a precursor to the 2026 review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the successor to NAFTA. However, with the abrupt termination of trade talks, the future of these negotiations remains uncertain.
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