President Donald Trump on Thursday shut down trade talks with Canada after he accused Ottawa of airing a “fraudulent” television advertisement wilfully misquoting former President Ronald Reagan in an anti-tariff ad campaign.
Trump initiated import tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum and autos earlier this year, as Breitbart News reported.
The advert in question, sponsored by the government of Canada’s province of Ontario, quoted Trump’s Republican predecessor, Ronald Reagan, saying tariffs “hurt every American.”
The president quickly responded, posting, “The Ronald Reagan Foundation has just announced that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about Tariffs.”
“The ad was for $75,000. They only did this to interfere with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, and other courts,” Trump wrote on his social media site. “TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY, AND ECONOMY, OF THE U.S.A. Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.”
Trump’s social media response came after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he aims to double his country’s exports to countries outside the U.S. because of the threat posed by Trump’s tariffs, AP notes.
For its part, the Ronald Reagan Foundation – which is charged with preserving his legacy – released a statement on Thursday night saying the advert had used “selective” audio and video of the former president to wilfully distort his remarks.
It said the advert “misrepresents” the former president’s address and accused the Ontario government of not seeking permission to use and edit the remarks.
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The foundation said it was “reviewing its legal options.”
The Canadian prime minister leaves Friday morning for a summit in Asia, while Trump is set to do the same Friday evening.
More than three-quarters of Canadian exports go to the U.S., and nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border daily.
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