• 'Canada has long cheated on Tariffs, charging our farmers as much as 400%. Now they, and other countries, can’t take advantage of the U.S. any longer,' Trump says

ISTANBUL

Ontario's premier said Friday that the Canadian province would pause its US advertising campaign to help restart trade talks between Ottawa and Washington, which President Donald Trump suspended a day earlier.

Ford said the campaign, which ran ads featuring former US President Ronald Reagan, targeting American audiences during the World Series, aimed to highlight the “impact of tariffs on workers and businesses,” adding that Canada and the US are “stronger when we work together.”

“Let's work together to build Fortress Am-Can and make our two countries stronger, more prosperous and more secure,” he said, adding that the campaign would be paused as of Monday.

Trump announced the termination of all trade negotiations with Canada on Thursday, citing the “fraudulent” use of a video advertisement featuring the voice of the late Reagan.

Trump said the Ronald Reagan Foundation reported that Canada has “fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about Tariffs.”

He said the video advertisement, reportedly costing $75,000, had been used to interfere with decisions of the US Supreme Court and other courts.

“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 wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Earlier, the foundation, officially known as the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, said it learned that the government of Ontario, Canada created an ad campaign using selective audio and video from Reagan’s “Radio Address to the Nation on Free and Fair Trade” dated April 25, 1987.

The foundation said the ad misrepresents the presidential address and that the government of Ontario “did not seek or receive permission to use and edit the remarks.”

The foundation added that it is reviewing its legal options and encouraged the public to watch Reagan’s unedited video on its official YouTube channel.

On Friday, in a separate post, Trump said: "CANADA CHEATED AND GOT CAUGHT!!!"

He emphasized that Canada was trying to "illegally influence" the US Supreme Court in "one of the most important rulings" in the history of the country.

"Canada has long cheated on Tariffs, charging our farmers as much as 400%," the president said. "Now they, and other countries, can’t take advantage of the U.S. any longer."

He thanked the Ronald Reagan Foundation for exposing a "FRAUD."

National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said Friday that Trump’s remarks reflect his “frustration” with Canada after months of difficult trade negotiations. Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Hassett said the talks have been challenging and the president’s tone underscores growing tension between the two sides.

“I’ve been involved in some of these negotiations, and the Canadians have been very difficult to negotiate with,” Hassett said, adding that the US decision to continue discussions with Mexico separately shows the depth of that frustration. “We’ll see how it goes,” he added.