President Donald Trump has criticized an anti-tariff advertisement from Ontario, Canada, for supposedly misrepresenting a 1987 speech by former President Ronald Reagan. The ad, which Trump cited as a factor in cutting off trade talks with Canada, uses several soundbites from Reagan’s speech but in a different order than the president originally delivered them.
The ad, which features a clip of Reagan’s 1987 speech on trade, was created by the Ontario government to highlight its commitment to free trade and criticize Trump’s protectionist policies. However, Trump accused the ad of taking out of context and rearranging the original content, which he claimed was intended to undermine his administration’s trade negotiations with Canada.
Reagan’s 1987 speech, often considered a landmark in American trade policy, emphasized the importance of free markets and reducing trade barriers. Trump’s administration has been known for its aggressive trade policies, including the imposition of tariffs on numerous countries, which has led to frequent trade disputes with allies such as Canada.
While the Ontario government defended the ad as a legitimate use of Reagan’s words to support its stance on free trade, Trump dismissed it as a political maneuver aimed at discrediting his administration’s efforts. The controversy has highlighted the ongoing tension between the United States and Canada over trade policies, which has been a focal point of recent presidential negotiations.