Trump Announces Tariffs Following Ad

By
Billy Costigan
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In an international PR debacle that’s spiraling into a full-blown trade crisis, Canada’s provincial government in Ontario has found itself at the center of a diplomatic firestorm — all thanks to a $75 million ad campaign built on a deceptively edited speech by none other than President Ronald Reagan.

The ad, aired prominently during Game 1 of the World Series, featured Reagan seemingly denouncing tariffs — a narrative tailor-made to undercut the Trump administration’s aggressive trade policies. But there was just one problem: it was fake.


The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute wasted no time blasting the ad, calling it a deliberate distortion of Reagan’s actual message and threatening legal action. “The ad misrepresents the Presidential Radio Address,” the foundation wrote in a sharply worded statement. “They did not seek nor receive permission to use and edit the remarks.” The foundation urged viewers to watch the unedited version on its YouTube channel — an unmistakable signal that the Reagan legacy was being misused for political ends.

Meanwhile, Ontario Premier Doug Ford issued a half-hearted apology and promised to take the ad off the air… but not until Monday. That’s right — Ford acknowledged the controversy on Friday, yet allowed the ad to air that very night during the World Series — one of America’s most watched sporting events — as the Toronto Blue Jays faced off against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The reach and timing weren’t coincidental.

President Trump, never one to let a moment like this pass unnoticed, erupted on Truth Social.


“Canada was caught, red handed, putting up a fraudulent advertisement on Ronald Reagan’s Speech on Tariffs,” he wrote. “The sole purpose of this FRAUD was Canada’s hope that the United States Supreme Court will come to their ‘rescue’ on Tariffs…”

In a string of posts, Trump accused Canada of interfering with U.S. legal proceedings, misleading the American public, and attempting to manipulate public opinion at a crucial moment in ongoing trade negotiations and litigation. The decision to run the ad during prime time World Series coverage made the move all the more brazen — and the response all the more swift.

“Because of their serious misrepresentation of the facts, and hostile act, I am increasing the Tariff on Canada by 10% over and above what they are paying now,” Trump announced.

The underlying accusation is explosive: that Canada used Reagan’s image and words — doctored, without permission — to weaken Trump’s policy stance and sway judicial opinion, all while leveraging one of the most visible moments in American culture. The optics were clear. So was the backlash.


Even before this week’s drama, the relationship between the U.S. and Canada had shown signs of strain. Trade negotiations had stalled. The so-called “No Kings” movement had already raised eyebrows in D.C., and now, with this Reagan ad scandal, things have moved from symbolic jabs to economic retaliation.

If the goal was to plant doubt in Americans’ minds about tariffs, it may have backfired spectacularly. The move has united many in defense of Reagan’s legacy, and reminded voters — and the courts — that tariffs were never off-brand for the Gipper. In fact, Reagan invoked tariffs for national security purposes during his own administration. The foundation’s swift response made that abundantly clear.

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