President Donald Trump has put US-Canada trade talks into a deep freeze, announcing they are “hereby terminated.” The president’s anger was sparked by a Canadian TV ad that used a Ronald Reagan speech.
The ad, paid for by Ontario, quotes Reagan’s 1987 warning against tariffs. Trump lashed out on social, calling the ad “fraudulent” and accusing Canada of trying to meddle in US supreme court hearings on the tariffs.
This move jeopardizes a massive trade relationship, with over c$3.6 billion in goods and services crossing the border daily. The dispute is rooted in heavy US tariffs on Canadian goods, which Trump raised to 35% in August.
Ontario premier Doug Ford, whose province is suffering under the tariffs, launched the ad. He defended its message, posting on x: “president Ronald Reagan knew that we are stronger together.”
However, the ad’s use of the speech has been contested. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation said the clips were “selective,” used without permission, and “misrepresent” the full context of the 1987 address.
Diplomatic freeze: talks with Canada ‘terminated,’ says Trump
Date:
Picture Credit: commons.wikimedia.org