Ontario premier doesn’t back down against Trump, posts video of Reagan opposing tariffs

TORONTO AP The leader of Canada s the bulk populous province posted remarks by former U S President Ronald Reagan on social media on Friday showing Reagan opposed tariffs hours after President Donald Trump broadcasted he s ending all pact negotiations with Canada because of a television ad that Trump mentioned misstates Reagan s opposition to tariffs Ontario Premier Doug Ford didn t back down and noted Canada and the U S are friends neighbors and allies and Reagan knew that both are stronger together Ford then provided a link to a Reagan speech where the late president voices opposition to tariffs A spokesperson for Ford mentioned the ad will run Friday night during Tournament of the World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers On Thursday Trump posted The Ronald Reagan Foundation has just declared that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement which is FAKE featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about Tariffs Trump doubled down on his criticism of the Ontario ads again on Friday and accused Canada of trying to influence an upcoming U S Supreme Court ruling on his global tariff regime Trump s call for an abrupt end to negotiations has further inflamed business tensions between the neighbors and longtime allies Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney noted this week he aims to double his country s exports to countries outside the U S because of the threat posed by Trump s tariffs Canadian agents remain ready to continue talks to reduce tariffs in certain sectors he announced We can t control the deal procedures of the United States We recognize that that strategy has fundamentally changed from the s Carney disclosed Friday morning before boarding a flight to Asia We have to focus on what we can control and realize what we can t control Carney is trying to secure a commerce deal with Trump but tariffs are taking a toll in the aluminum steel auto and lumber sectors White House spokesman Kush Desai reported talks with Canada have not led to any constructive progress Ontario s taxpayer-funded ad campaign on American TV networks that misleadingly edited President Reagan s radio address about transaction is the latest example of how Canadian authorities would rather play games than engage with the Administration Desai mentioned in a report As President Trump made clear on Truth Social further talks are a futile effort if Canada can t be serious The Ontario establishment has mentioned it would pay about million Canadian US million for the ads to air across multiple American television stations using audio and video of former president Reagan speaking about tariffs in Ford commented earlier this week he had heard that Trump had seen the ad I m sure he wasn t too happy Ford commented He mentioned the aim is to blast the pro-trade message to Americans It s real because it was coming from the best president the country s ever seen Ronald Reagan Ford declared I feel the Reagan Republicans are going to be fighting with the MAGA group and let s hope Reagan Republicans win Ford is a populist conservative who doesn t belong to the same party as Carney a Liberal Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew backed Ford It s clear that these ads are working If you throw a rock at a lake and you don t hear a splash you apparently missed So to my good friend Doug Ford keep the ads on TV They re effective and this country is behind you Kinew mentioned The premier of British Columbia David Eby disclosed he will make ads that defend the lumber industry saying Americans need to hear how tariffs raise prices But Daniel B land a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal mentioned the ad has backfired big time Carney ostensibly demands to speak to Ford and other premiers to bring certain sense of community unity to Crew Canada B land mentioned Trump has been threatening Canada s business activity and sovereignty with tariffs most of offensively by claiming Canada could be the st state Jason Kenney a former Conservative cabinet minister under ex-Prime Minister Stephen Harper called Trump s posts just embarrassing The Ontario ad does not misrepresent President Reagan s anti-tariff radio address in any respect whatsoever It is a direct replay of his radio address formatted for a one minute ad Kenney posted on social media Kenney also took aim at the Reagan foundation They know perfectly well that the Ontario ad captures precisely President Reagan s opposition to tariffs and encouragement for free agreement But it is obvious that the Foundation now has gormless leadership which is easily intimidated by a call from the White House yet another sign of the hugely corrosive influence of Trump on the American conservative movement he posted Source