President Donald Trump in a message posted to Truth Social on Saturday afternoon pledged to increase tariffs on Canada by 10 percent following a dispute over an anti-tariff ad using Ronald Reagan.
“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 wrote.
Newsweek reached out to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office, and the White House by email on Saturday evening outside of normal business hours for comment.
Why It Matters
The U.S. and Canada were set for trade talks after months of Trump aggressively implementing tariffs against a number of trading partners. The U.S. imposed a 35 percent tariff on some of the most critical exports between the countries.
But the president abruptly canceled the talks after the Ontario government started running an ad that featured Reagan, a Republican, criticizing tariffs and warning of the dangers they pose in his April 1987 radio address urging Congress not to pursue protectionism in dealing with Japan.
Trump denounced the ad as fraudulent, and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute issued a statement criticizing the ad as misrepresenting Reagan’s presidential address through “selective audio and video.” The foundation also said that it would review legal options, as Ontario did not seek nor receive permission to use and edit the remarks.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced Friday that he had ordered a pause in the ad campaign, which he had intended to run during the first two games of the World Series, which are taking place in Canada as the Toronto Blue Jays host the Los Angeles Dodgers.
What To Know
Trump’s decision to increase the tariff marks an escalation of tensions between the U.S. and Canada even after Carney did not dispute the president’s complaint against the ad.
When asked about Trump’s decision to suspend negotiations over the ad, Carney told reporters that Canada is “ready to pick up on those discussions when the Americans are ready.”
Trump alleged that Ontario ran the ad as a means of influencing the Supreme Court as the Justices consider cases concerning the limits on the presidential use of tariffs – an allegation he repeated in his Saturday post, writing: “The sole purpose of this FRAUD was Canada’s hope that the United States Supreme Court will come to their ‘rescue’ on Tariffs that they have used for years to hurt the United States.”
“Now the United States is able to defend itself against high and overbearing Canadian Tariffs (and those from the rest of the World as well!),” Trump added.
This will bring the general tariff on Canada up to 45 percent, but it remains unclear when the tariff increase would go into effect.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump in his Truth Social post: “Canada was caught, red handed, putting up a fraudulent advertisement on Ronald Reagan’s Speech on Tariffs. The Reagan Foundation said that they, “created an ad campaign using selective audio and video of President Ronald Reagan. The ad misrepresents the Presidential Radio Address,” and “did not seek nor receive permission to use and edit the remarks. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute is reviewing its legal options in this matter.” The sole purpose of this FRAUD was Canada’s hope that the United States Supreme Court will come to their “rescue” on Tariffs that they have used for years to hurt the United States.”
“Now the United States is able to defend itself against high and overbearing Canadian Tariffs (and those from the rest of the World as well!). Ronald Reagan LOVED Tariffs for purposes of National Security and the Economy, but Canada said he didn’t! Their Advertisement was to be taken down, IMMEDIATELY, but they let it run last night during the World Series, knowing that it was a FRAUD. 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. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he added.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford wrote on X: “”Our intention was always to initiate a conversation about the kind of economy that Americans want to build and the impact of tariffs on workers and businesses. We’ve achieved our goal, having reached U.S. audiences at the highest levels.
“The people elected our government to protect Ontario—our workers, businesses, families and communities. That’s exactly what I’m doing,” he added.
Economist Joey Politano wrote on X: “Throwing a hissy fit because the Canadians quoted Ronald Reagan at you, what a picture of the Modern Republican Party.”
