President Trump has thrown a wrench into trade discussions with Canada, labeling an advertisement that referenced former President Ronald Reagan’s anti-tariff speech as a “false” representation. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute chimed in, asserting that the ad misrepresented Reagan’s own words.
While it might not qualify as “fake,” the ad was certainly edited. It showcased snippets from a 1987 national radio address where Reagan passionately advocated for fair and free trade—a message he offered during a time when American views on trade, particularly with Japan, were quite tense. You can check out the full five-minute address on YouTube.
The ad was funded by the Ontario government and broadcast on significant U.S. networks, using clips from that Camp David speech just before Reagan’s meeting with Japan’s Prime Minister. Japanese exports like cars and electronics had hurt many American companies, including General Motors and RCA.
Before his address, Reagan had slapped higher tariffs on Japanese goods to counteract an influx of cheap semiconductors entering the U.S. His critiques of Japan—more severe than what was shown in the ad—echoed Trump’s typical trade frustrations.
Reagan asserted, “We had clear evidence that Japanese companies were engaging in unfair trade practices,” an echo of the very sentiments Trump often expresses about trade. Council members were concerned with the content of the Reagan-focused ad, asking, “Are our trading partners living up to agreements?”
Significantly, while Reagan did demand fairness from Japan, he was also wary of implementing high tariffs citing that they could harm U.S. workers. He outlined how tariffs could hinder competition, inflate prices, and trigger trade wars—all major drawbacks he emphasized as detrimental to the economy. In fact, Reagan directly blamed tariffs for worsening the Great Depression.
The most alarming point made in his address highlighted how tariffs have generally made companies overly-dependent on government support and removed healthy market competition, further commenting on Congress’ missteps in pushing for higher trade barriers.
It remains a mystery why Trump labeled this ad as “fake.” His social media post included a critique from the Reagan Foundation, claiming that the ad used “selective audio and video” from Reagan’s speech, but didn’t provide explicit details on what they visualized as misrepresented.
In a separate Truth Social update, Trump mistakenly claimed that Reagan supported tariffs. He exclaimed, “They fraudulently stated that Ronald Reagan didn’t favor tariffs. But he loved tariffs for our country, and its security!” He expressed gratitude to the Reagan Foundation for revealing the purported “fraud.”
Moreover, the Ronald Reagan Foundation alleged that the Ontario government did not ask for permission to use or alter Reagan’s speech, creating legal uncertainty around their actions. The Foundation is exploring its legal options and encouraged the public to watch the complete, unedited speech.
The controversial ad has aired numerous times during significant events, including the American League Championship series featuring the Toronto Blue Jays, who are set to appear in the World Series next week, a source of great pride for Canadians.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, during a speech on October 14, announced their intention to broadcast the ad across all major U.S. networks. He stated that he wanted to put Reagan’s words front and center before the U.S. public.
Ford remarked, “That ad isn’t bad. It’s factual. With Reagan’s voice, every Republican will recognize that ethos.” Praising Reagan, he added, “In my view, he was the best president America has ever had.”
