Advertisement Using Former President Ronald Reagan's Speech
Trump Claims, "They Aired the Ad During the World Series Despite Knowing It Was Fraudulent"
Donald Trump, President of the United States, announced an additional 10 percentage point increase in tariffs on Canada, citing the production of the "Reagan Speech Advertisement" by Canada.
On the 25th (local time), President Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, stating, "Due to their (Canada's) significant distortion of facts and hostile acts, I am raising tariffs by an additional 10% on top of what they currently pay." He cited a broadcast advertisement produced under the supervision of Ontario, Canada, as the reason for the tariff increase.
Recently, the province of Ontario created an advertisement using a speech by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan from April 1987, in which he explained the background of imposing tariffs on Japan. The advertisement features former President Reagan speaking negatively about tariffs and advocating for free trade, arguing that tariffs would ultimately have an adverse effect on the U.S. economy and the lives of Americans in the long run.
On the 23rd, President Trump declared that he would suspend trade negotiations with Canada because of this advertisement. Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, attempted to defuse the situation by announcing that the advertisement would be discontinued starting on the 27th. However, President Trump asserted, "Their advertisement should have been stopped immediately, but they knowingly allowed it to air last night during the (Major League Baseball) World Series, despite knowing it was fraudulent."
He further stated, "The sole purpose of this fraud was the hope that the U.S. Supreme Court would save them from the regulatory issues that Canada has used for years to harm the United States. Now, the U.S. can defend itself against Canada's excessive and oppressive tariffs. Reagan loved tariffs for national security and the economy, but Canada claimed otherwise."
Additionally, President Trump emphasized, "Canada was caught in the act of airing a fraudulent advertisement about Reagan's speech on tariffs," and reiterated, "The Reagan Foundation stated that Canada 'selectively used President Reagan's voice and image to produce the advertisement. They neither requested nor received permission for the use and editing of these remarks.'"
CNN reported that while the speech in question does exist and was edited, it is not 'fake.' CNN explained, "Reagan, in fact, strongly criticized tariffs in his five-minute speech," and "it was a speech expressing full support for free and fair trade."
Meanwhile, the U.S. tariff rate on Canada is 35%, but most Canadian exports to the U.S.-85%-are exempt from tariffs under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
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