Ontario to pull tariff ad that angered Trump ‒ but it will stay up for World Series games

WASHINGTON ‒ The Ontario, Canada, provincial government will continue airing an ad critical of tariffs on American TV through the weekend ‒ and then pause the commercial ‒ after President Donald Trump halted United States trade negotiations with Canada over his objections to the ad.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, in a statement, said he’s directed his team to keep airing the commercial ‒ which features remarks from late President Ronald Reagan ‒ so it will be seen during Games 1 and 2 of the World Series.

Ford said the province of Ontario will pause the ad effective Monday “so that trade talks can resume.” He cited a conversation he had with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to come to the decision.

“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,” Ford said. “We’ve achieved our goal, having reached U.S. audiences at the highest levels.”

For the first time in 33 years, this year’s World Series features Canada’s American League champion Toronto Blue Jays, who take on the National League’s Los Angeles Dodgers.

Trump, in an angry late-night post on Truth Social, abruptly announced he had “terminated” trade negotiations with Canada after learning of the Reagan ad, which he attacked as “fake” and alleged misrepresened Reagan’s views.

Trump has imposed sweeping tariffs on imports from countries throughout the world including Canada, the United States’ neighbor to the north and second largest trading partner. Since Aug. 1, Canadian imports that aren’t protected by the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement have been subject to 35% tariffs.

How Reagan’s remarks stack up to the TV ad

The 60-second ad features the voice of Reagan speaking critically of tariffs during an April 25, 1987 radio address days after he increased tariffs on certain Japanese imports in response to Japan violating a semiconductor trade agreement.

Everything Reagan is heard saying in the ad reflects remarks he made in the address. However, the ad selects and splices five sentences from the five-minute address rather than playing the remarks in order or the speech its entirety.

“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,” Reagan is heard saying in the ad, just as he said in the address.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute said the ad “mispresents” the address and that the Ontario government did not receive permission to use and edit Reagan’s remarks.

The White House objected to the omission of one particular line in the former president’s address: “As I’ve often said: Our commitment to free trade is also a commitment to fair trade,” Reagan said in the address. Trump has argued his sweeping tariffs on imports across the world are in response to unfair trade practices against the United States.

Trump, in a Friday post on Truth Social, wrote: “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.”

Yet Trump wildly mischaracterized Reagan’s views on tariffs in his post. Reagan made clear in his address that he was not a fan of tariffs. “Imposing such tariffs or trade barriers and restrictions of any kind are steps that I am loath to take,” the late president said.

Trump’s clash with Canada comes as the Supreme Court on Nov. 5 is set to hear oral arguments in a case that will decide the fate of Trump’s sweeping tariffs, which the president imposed unilaterally by citing the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

Lower courts have ruled Trump overstepped his authority under a law historically used for imposing economic sanctions and other penalties on foreign enemies. Trump has said the Supreme Court’s decision is so important that he might attend the court’s arguments in person.