How Trump's tariff feud with Canada spiraled in 48 hours over an ad featuring Ronald Reagan

What began as a Canadian ad campaign quickly turned into a full-blown trade dispute between the United States and Canada.

In just 48 hours, a TV commercial — featuring the late President Ronald Reagan’s warning about the dangers of tariffs — led President Donald Trump to accuse Canada of “fraud” and impose fresh levies.

By the weekend, negotiations between Washington and Ottawa were frozen, and both sides were trading barbs on social media and television.

Here’s how the feud deepened over the past few days:

Thursday, October 16, 2025 — 12:06 p.m. ET

Ontario Premier Doug Ford kicked off the feud by announcing the launch of a new US advertising campaign.

“It’s official: Ontario’s new advertising campaign in the US has launched,” Ford wrote on X.

“Using every tool we have, we’ll never stop making the case against American tariffs on Canada. The way to prosperity is by working together.”

The minute-long ad featured former US President Ronald Reagan warning that tariffs “hurt every American worker and consumer” and “inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries.”

The ad aired across major US networks and was set to run during the first two games of the World Series.

Thursday, October 23, 2025 — 4:15 a.m. ET

The issue exploded eight days later when Trump posted on Truth Social, accusing Canada of faking quotes from Reagan in the ad.

“The Ronald Reagan Foundation has just announced that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about Tariffs,” Trump wrote.

“ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.”

Trump was responding to a statement from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, which said the Government of Ontario had “misrepresented” Reagan’s 1987 “Radio Address to the Nation on Free and Fair Trade” and used it without permission.

“The Government of Ontario did not seek nor receive permission to use and edit the remarks,” the Foundation said, adding that it was reviewing legal options.

Thursday, October 23, 2025 — 7:27 p.m. ET

Ontario Premier Doug Ford attempted to de-escalate.

“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,” he wrote on X.

“In speaking with Prime Minister Carney, Ontario will pause its US advertising campaign effective Monday so that trade talks can resume.”

Ford reaffirmed that Canada and the US were “neighbors, friends and allies,” and urged cooperation to “build Fortress Am-Can.”

Saturday, October 25, 2025 — 9:30 p.m. ET

Trump reignited the dispute.

In another Truth Social posthe accused Canada of deliberately airing the “fraudulent” ad during a broadcast of the World Series —which is being contested between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Canada’s only MLB team, the Toronto Blue Jays.

In the same post, he announced an additional 10% tariff on imports from Canada.

“The sole purpose of this FRAUD was Canada’s hope that the United States Supreme Court will come to their ‘rescue’ on Tariffs,” Trump wrote.

“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 also wrote that Reagan “LOVED Tariffs for purposes of National Security and the Economy.”

Friday & Saturday, October 24-25, 2025 — During the World Series

Hours after Trump’s tariff announcement, the Reagan ad aired again — twice — during the World Series.

The games between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers were played at Rogers Center in Toronto and broadcast live across North America.

The Blue Jays dominated game one 11-4, while the Dodgers bounced back in game two with a 5-1 victory.

Sunday, October 26, 2025 — Morning shows

The feud spilled over onto American television.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appeared on “Meet the Press” on CNBCcalling Ontario’s ad “propaganda” and “psy-ops.”

“This is a kind of propaganda against US citizens,” Bessent said. “It’s clearly damaged our relationship with the most populous province in Canada.”

In a separate interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that same day, he called the ad an “interference in US sovereign matters” and said it had “clearly damaged” the relationship between Washington and Ottawa.