'Cheated and got caught': Trump blasts Canada for misusing Reagan in advertisement, cancels talks

(FILES) US President Donald Trump meets with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on October 7, 2025. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP)

US President Donald Trump has once again slammed Canada over a controversial advertisement featuring former President Ronald Reagan, calling it “fake” and accusing Canada of cheating the United States. The move comes after Trump cancelled all trade negotiations with the country.

“CANADA CHEATED AND GOT CAUGHT!!! They fraudulently took a big buy ad saying that Ronald Reagan did not like Tariffs, when actually he LOVED TARIFFS FOR OUR COUNTRY, AND ITS NATIONAL SECURITY. Canada is trying to illegally influence the United States Supreme Court in one of the most important rulings in the history of our Country," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

He added, “Canada has long cheated on Tariffs, charging our farmers as much as 400%. Now they, and other countries, can’t take advantage of the US any longer. Thank you to the Ronald Reagan Foundation for exposing this FRAUD. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!"

In subsequent posts, Trump praised tariffs for strengthening the United States. “THE STOCK MARKET IS STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE BECAUSE OF TARIFFS!" he wrote.

US-Canada trade talks cancelled

Trump announced the cancellation of trade negotiations earlier, citing the controversial Reagan advertisement. “The Ronald Reagan Foundation has just announced that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about Tariffs," he said.

The ad, posted by Ontario Premier Doug Ford on X, features Reagan saying, “When someone says, ‘Let’s impose tariffs on foreign imports,’ it looks like they’re doing the patriotic thing by protecting American products and jobs, and sometimes for a short while it works, but only for a short time. But over the long run, such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer."

The situation escalated after Ontario ran the advertisement during a game in the American League Championship Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Seattle Mariners, an event watched by an estimated nine million people.

“The ad was for $75,000,000. They only did this to interfere with the decision of the U.S. 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.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation confirmed that the ad misrepresents Reagan’s original remarks. It added that the Government of Ontario did not seek or receive permission to use or edit the address and said it is reviewing its legal options.

Trump’s decision to end trade talks marks another low point in US-Canada relations. It comes just over two weeks after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited the White House seeking a relaxation of US tariffs.

Trump’s global tariffs on steel, aluminum, and autos have hit Canada hard, causing job losses and squeezing businesses, adding pressure on Carney to secure a breakthrough in trade negotiations.