US President Donald Trump has once again criticized Canada, accusing Ottawa of dishonesty and an attempt to unlawfully influence the US Supreme Court through what he referred to as a deceptive advertisement featuring the late Republican figure Ronald Reagan.
Trump took to his Truth Social account on Friday to state, “Canada cheated and got caught!!! They deceptively ran an ad claiming that Ronald Reagan opposed tariffs, when in reality, he favored tariffs for our nation and its national security.”
The President alleged that Canada was making an illegal effort to sway the US Supreme Court in a crucial upcoming ruling concerning the legality of his global tariff strategies scheduled for November 5.
The dispute arose from a Canadian political ad that utilized an altered recording of Reagan criticizing tariffs and cautioning about potential trade conflicts and economic difficulties. Trump, who has consistently supported tariffs as crucial to US interests, condemned the ad as deceitful and accused Ottawa of distorting Reagan’s statements.
In response to Canada’s actions, Trump declared the termination of all trade negotiations with the country. The contentious ad, reportedly released by Ontario’s provincial government, featured a manipulated excerpt from Reagan’s 1987 radio address where he cautioned against the negative impacts of imposing tariffs on foreign imports.
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation disapproved of the ad, denouncing its use of selective audio and video elements without proper authorization. Ontario Premier Doug Ford acknowledged Trump’s reaction to the ad, acknowledging, “I heard that the president heard our ad. I’m sure he wasn’t too happy.”
Trump’s recent criticisms come amidst ongoing trade tensions between the US and Canada. Since his return to office in January, Trump has imposed significant tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum, and automotive imports, prompting retaliatory actions from Canada. Trump has consistently promoted tariffs as a key aspect of his economic agenda, once describing them as “the most beautiful word in the dictionary.”