Reagan was right then, and he is right now.
Negotiators had worked for weeks on an agreement to reduce Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs.
How One Ad Sent U.S.-Canada Trade Talks Into a Tailspin
The Wall Street Journal comments One Ad Sent U.S.-Canada Trade Talks Into a Tailspin
Negotiators from Ottawa and Washington had spent weeks hashing out a potential deal to reduce punishing 50% tariffs President Trump had imposed on steel and aluminum, and the Canadians were growing optimistic in recent days, according to people familiar with the talks. The discussions were punctuated by an amicable Oval Office meeting earlier this month between Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Both leaders expressed confidence that they could get the trade relationship back on track.
Then Trump threw the economic relationship with Canada into a tailspin late Thursday, saying he was terminating trade negotiations with America’s second-largest trading partner over a television advertisement by the Ontario government. The ad included audio of former Republican President Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs.
Days before Trump canceled trade talks with Canada via his Truth Social platform, he had publicly minimized the ad, which the Ontario government started running in the U.S. earlier this month. At an event Tuesday with Republican senators, Trump said he had seen the ad and said, “If I was Canada, I’d take that same ad also.”
His tone shifted markedly Thursday night and Friday, when he accused the Canadian government of trying to influence the Supreme Court ahead of a hearing over the fate of his so-called reciprocal tariffs, scheduled for Nov. 5. Canada is attempting to “illegally influence” the court “in one of the most important rulings in the history of our Country,” Trump wrote in a second post Friday morning.
The Ontario ad uses audio from a 1987 radio address delivered by Reagan, in which he explains that despite putting tariffs on Japanese semiconductors in that year, he was committed to free-trade policies. While tariffs can look patriotic, Reagan said, “over the long run such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer,” lead to “fierce trade wars” and result in lost jobs.
Understanding the Tantrum
Why did Trump suddenly go from “If I was Canada, I’d take that same ad also,” to a hissy fit?
Most likely Trump talked to one of his trade hawks and reacted like a two-year old child throwing a tantrum.
President Reagan’s Radio Address on Free and Fair Trade on April 25, 1987
Reagan was right then and he is right now. Please play the video.
I was accumulating Reagan clips before this event, and appreciate Trump bringing this to the forefront.
By acting like a baby, millions of people will now play that video.
Note the quiet convincing demeanor of Reagan vs the pompous arrogance of Trump. Also note Reagan’s background pictures vs Trump’s fascination with gold and everything that glitters.
We could use a little humility today. And we certainly should be working with allies instead of threatening them.
Canada’s Ad
Next please play the actual 58 second Canadian ad.
Trump calls it “fake news”. The Reagan Foundation is throwing a hissy fit too. But there is nothing out of context about the ad at all if you play both videos.
Pertinent YouTube Comments
- You have to admit, this ad did what it was supposed to do and inform the American people. It is now being seen more, without additional cost, to the American people through the news networks. Trump’s reaction just made this add go viral.
- IMAGINE BEING SO FRAGILE that a single minute ad causes you to withdraw from your duty as president and your obligation to work out issues with historical allies to make your country and the world a better place!!! Now imagine that this is who was selected to represent THE GREATEST COUNRTY ON EARTH!!! I am ashamed and embarrassed!!! I apologize to Canada for this and hope they know that not every American is a child.
- This Ad has possibly informed the population of America to what is currently happening in America , bravo for your honesty Canada from Scotland .
Trump’s Truth Social Comments
“The Ronald Reagan Foundation has just announced that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about Tariffs.”
“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.”
The Reagan Foundation Objects
I endorse the last sentence. “We encourage you to watch President Reagan’s unedited video.” Yes, please do!
Difficult to Work With
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said, “The Canadians have been very difficult to negotiate with.”
Actually, Trump is impossible to work with because he an economically illiterate bully who thrives on threats and intimidation.
Since many people are truly dense ….
Q: Will Trump honor any deal he signs?
A: You tell me, but no one can expect that
Q: Is there a massive lost in trust that Trump will honor any deals he signs
A: Yes
Trump may not honor any deal he signs. That is now an established fact after Trump cancelled USMCA, a treaty ratified by the US Senate with 89 votes.
Related Posts
March 13, 2025: The Amazing “Success” of Trump’s 2018 Aluminum Tariffs in One Picture
I hope you can take a bit of headline sarcasm because the true story follows.
September 18, 2025: Trump’s Aluminum Tariffs Kill Jobs and Put America Last
Tariffs are costly for companies that use the metal to make things, including recyclers.
April 1, 2025: Excluding Oil, the US Has a Trade Surplus with Canada Every Year Since 2008
Let’s do a fact check on Trump’s Canada claims.
May 8, 2025: Fact Check on Trump’s Claim “We Don’t Do Much Business with Canada”
“We don’t do much business with Canada from our standpoint, they do a lot of business with us.”
In terms of US exports, Canada is #1. Canada buys more US goods than the entirety of the EU.
Cheese Was a “Key Achievement” of Trump’s USMCA Trade Agreement
Finally, please consider Cheese Was a “Key Achievement” of Trump’s USMCA Trade Agreement
Trump is complaining about Canada’s cheese tariffs. In 2018, he was bragging about cheese.
Flashback October 1, 2018
Late last night, our deadline, we reached a wonderful new Trade Deal with Canada, to be added into the deal already reached with Mexico. The new name will be The United States Mexico Canada Agreement, or USMCA. It is a great deal for all three countries, solves the many deficiencies and mistakes in NAFTA, greatly opens markets to our Farmers and Manufacturers, reduces Trade Barriers to the U.S. and will bring all three Great Nations together in competition with the rest of the world. The USMCA is a historic transaction!
It was such a great deal that Trump thanked Mexico and Canada. Notably USMCA is “Good for everybody – Farmers, Manufacturers, Energy, Unions – tremendous support. Importantly, we will finally end our Country’s worst Trade Deal, NAFTA!”
It “greatly opened markets to our farmers” and it even paid for the wall! And it will bring three great nations together!
Mercy! Who could possibly see things any differently?
Trump is an ignorant moron.
He persists with his theory that when you buy tomatoes from the store, the store has ripped you off because they now have your money. It’s impossible to be stupider. All his economic policies are boomerangs, mired in foolish willful ignorance.
Trump is a know-nothing delusional narcissist. Every time his little lieutenants are in the spotlight there is this obligatory fawning about how he is the greatest, wisest, strongest, most insightful ever. Not even NKorea or Stalin’s Soviet Union displayed such puerile embarrassing sucking up.
Canada is the most important destination for US exports, but is somehow the enemy of American trade !?
Imagine Putin were this thin-skinned; the world would have perished in nuclear fire.
I am a life-long Republican. Adored Reagan coming out of college. The once conservative party has fallen into populist Christo-fascist authoritarianism. Kamala is more conservative than Trump.
How about America becoming more competitive instead of tariffs? Tariffs lead to inferior products and high prices. Am I the only one who bought an American car in the 70’s? That was my last new American car, I didn’t buy another new car until the Japanese imports became abundant in the mid 80’s.
I managed auto repair shops from the 70’s until 2006 sometimes as many as fifty shops in my assigned territory. After 1980 cars built in Japan when compared dollar for dollar and pound for pound were the best in the world, at least reliability wise. Most American cars during that time were rolling junk, when they rolled at all.
I’m Canadian and offer an alternative view: if this (or similar ad) was placed by Russia or China, would it not be classed as intolerable interference in US domestic matters? Imagine the uproar.
When truth becomes intolerable, regardless of who provides it, the nation is doomed.
Only 327K watch and over 8 years. Unsure about the seize of the streisand effect.
President Debt Increase Debt Increase %
Ronald Reagan $1,604,482,712,041.16
160.8%
George W. Bush $4,217,261,484,712.34
72.6%
Barack Obama $7,663.615,710,425.00
64.4%
George H.W. Bush $1,207,189,695,334.34
42.3%
Richard Nixon $121,339,561,890.14
34.3%
Donald Trump $6,700,491,178,561.60
33.1%. First nightmare term,~ since eclipsed… Added another trillion in the last 70 days
Jimmy Carter $208,861,000,000.00
29.9%
Bill Clinton $1,262,689,326,747.48
28.6%
Joe Biden $4,738,415,474,674.48
16.7%
And Obama’s numbers are over 8 years, not 4.
Also applies to Clinton, Bush, Reagan
Clinton had a Budget SURPLUS, AND the Longest economic expansion of the Century too. [Don’t know where you get your Clinton numbers.]
Correct he had a budget surplus for a couple of years but overall? Gas was under a buck as well… But he should have said “yeah I got a blowjob from a consenting adult, big deal”. Instead he lied about it and got taken to the woodshed. Epstein and his gang are a whole other level of sick… But crickets out of the Repubs when their president is in the crosshairs…
China and Canada are marketing their products and services to all 8 billion people on earth. Trump wants the 400 million Americans to carry our economy and isolate us politically from our allies, neighbors, friends and trading partners.
Trump via his insane tariffs on Americans is driving trade away from US producers and driving costs up for raw materials like Aluminum and steel.
China has increased its trade with the world and decreased trade with the US as a result and we are losing market share along with our credibility.
It is like having a petulant toddler walking around the White House with a machine gun.
Mark Carney should offer some money to build Trump’s pretty princess ballroom to get negotiations back on track.
Or a couple under age girls covered in breathable gold foil?
But for real effect, cut off Canadian oil exports to the US.
Mark Carney should have Canadian Special Forces offer Trump a drone. Just kidding of course but it’s a thought.
FAKE NEWS!!!! Clearly this a “Democrat” snowflake plot!
Come on who cares, it’s not like the quoted a real Republican just some RINO, not a real Republican anointed by God Almighty to save us all…
….wait….
drop the term ” tariff “…….and substitute ” government greed” in its place.
now draw your own picture of blame based on that fact
“Well, there he goes again.”
*standing up and clapping*
Trump’s trade policies are aping what Latin American countries did for three decades after WW2, with the result that their growth never took off (and in the case of Argentina it crashed spectacularly). The Latin American trade policy disaster was well known in the 1980s, and it was certainly known to people like Reagan. His speech seems in fact to refer implicitly to that experience several times. That the US is now repeating the same trade mistakes is simply insane (insanity: do the same stupid thing again and again and hope for a different outcome).
Somehow a line has been crossed lately, probably with regards to China. TPTB have reigns.
Canadian Snowbirds Left Speechless After U.S. Customs And Border Protection Cites “Standard Procedures” Over New $60 Charge
https://www.thetravel.com/canadian-snowbirds-us-customs-and-border-protection-new-charge-policy/
Trump is such an embarrassment to our country. If he wasn’t so dangerous to us all, I would say he is funny–a joke. Full disclosure: I voted for this fool twice. Democrats gave us no choice. At least I voted for Kanye in 2020. If not for RFK Jr joining up with him in 2024, I never would have voted for Trump again. I regret both votes.
RFK would’ve beaten Trump.
Dems — pursuant to orders from people who also control Repubs — threw the election by pretending Biden was fine and there was no need for a primary (that RFK would’ve won). They admitted Biden’s proglems late enough that they could “plausibly” say they now had “no choice” but Kamala.
The establishment probably wanted “alpha male” Trump back in, to move fast and break things.
Funny, a commenter on another blog (who stopped posting a few years ago already) in 2021 or so predicted the establishment would bring back Trump in 2025 and turn us more fascist.
Don’t console yourself with that “I had no choice” bullshit, you had more than one other choice. FAFO, now what are you going to do in 2026? In 2026 your only intelligent choices are Democrat or don’t vote.
The ad will be played again tonight 2X and then pulled, apparently. Many people grew to respect Ronald Reagan around the globe, it was an earned respect.
What I don’t understand is that given the criticality of tariffs to the operation of the country and Trump’s broadstroke application of them, why SCOTUS didn’t fast track onto to their schedule? Instead, they have pussyfooted around all spring and summer, even ensuring that they got their summer vacation in.
WHY is it taking to Nov 5th before arguments even begin???
The Supremes know that the tariffs are illegal, but need time to figure out arguments to let Trump rule as he wishes. Because Jesus hates our freedoms.
Years ago Trump wanted to do a grand bargain with Trudeau, opening borders and reducing all tariffs to zero. Trudeau could not do the deal because of special interests in Canada. Fast forward to today and now Trump seems hell bent to punish Canadians, working towards favoring Carney elected while imposing nation crushing tariffs. Any decent Republican would be discussing impeachment by now but who could they get instead? Vance? Vance is fashioning himself as a Trump clone. Rubio? Rubio wants to start ww3 via Ukraine and puts Israel far ahead of American interests. We are destined to watch this slow motion train wreck.
He is a little baby. Give him a pacifier and put him in his crib, the senile old goat.
Trump is mentally ill, the only recourse is to get rid of him. 25th, impeachment or GOD.
Again, Reagan was speaking in 1987. At that point, Japan was China, and America’s industrial base was much wider & deeper than it is today. The subsequent 30 years took America down a completely different road that Reagan could not have anticipated. With China’s rise towards dominating global manufacturing after joining the WTO in 2001 & by then well on its way to displacing Japan, I would bet Reagan would have a much different view of tariffs, if he were alive today.
As I’ve said many times, Trump’s trade war with CA is mostly misguided and wrong. However, he is right to pursue significant tariffs against MX & China. These two countries are not just the tip of the spear but probably 90% of what’s causing America to be inundated with cheap drugs that are killing hundreds of thousands of Americans annually.
There is no such thing as free & fair trade, at least not in 2025. Both MX & China have significant labor savings over the US, so there’s nothing we can manufacture as cheaply as they do.
America First (MAGA) is about correcting decades long mismanagement of the US economy. One has to look no further than REM to realize how much our government / corporations have sold us out for cheaper Chinese alternatives.
China is rapidly becoming our military & technology peer and that must be stopped. Russia, Iran & many other nations have aligned themselves with China with the express intent to remove the dollar as the global reserve currency. We’re not going to stop that erosion with status quo. Those days are gone. America through the president & whatever functional Congress we can muster push back in very big ways to stay ahead.
America has already lost its lead and Trump is hastening it’s demise.
I beg to differ. No worries!
It’s up to CONGRESS to apply tariffs, not Trump by proclamation, something a King does.
If Congress chooses not to do so or can’t do so politically, then that’s the breaks.
One thing that Trump is bringing out and which should be getting more attention is how flimsy our beloved Constitution is, how many holes there are for potentates like Trump to wiggle around. The Constitution needs to be rewritten.
Or we can just wait for the AI Overlord to assume control.
Then why is SCOTUS looking at this? Trump has the ability to impose tariffs in emergencies. Let’s see how SCOTUS rules. My bet is they find a middle ground.
There is no “emergency” by any standard definition of the word.
Of course SCOUS will kowtow to Trump. No one wants to anger the petulant baby.
Of course there’s not in you opinion. You are totally against anything Trump does. Fortunately, you’re not the POTUS.
That’s a stupid statement and not true at all. Don’t make accusations you cannot support.
YOU HATE EVERYTHING ABOUT TRUMP!!!
I don’t know or care who Jojo is he/she would be a better POTUS than Trump. Just about anyone would be.
Since you’re Mr. History buff, you should know you can’t undo decades of mismanagement in one term. Most of what Trump’s doing won’t change a thing.
The 7 stages of empire collapse for your love of history and learning from the past.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb39CeK_yWg
Well, hell then let’s just not try. Status quo forever!!!
Let’s go ahead and convert all US dollars over to the Yuan.
Let’s let the Kremlin & CCP run our DoW.
Let’s let Xi run for POTUS!
Again, you prove that you’re nothing but negativity.
At that past time, Trump was already wanting trade war with Japan.
If there was no demand for illegal drugs there would be no supply, that applies to any product. When there is demand someone will fill it, when it is illegal it will be more profitable.
MAGA is a cult who’s main goal is taking away peoples rights and cultural bull crap.
China is rapidly surpassing the US in just about every possible category.
When the dollar is no longer the global reserve currency the American empire will end like England, Spain, etc.
THE CHINESE BUILD 30,000 MILES OF FAST RAIL AND WE BUILD BALLROOMS AND DRUG CLINICS AND CHILD’S BALL STADIUMS. BALLROOM IS NIHILISM METAPHOR FOR OUR EVIL EMPIRE/. DEMOCRACY WORKS PERFECTLY WELL.
Apparently of all the problems this country faces, a ballroom is the top priority. sarc
No, it is not the top priority. But it is the perfect metaphor.
I hope Trump’s dermatologist owns an electron microscope so that he has something he can measure skin thickness with if he needs to.
Decorum, respect, compromise, have disappeared from national politics. As much as I loved Ronald Reagan, I’m not sure he could get elected in the current political environment.
raygun was a great actor and con man. trump is just better than bonzo.
So you are saying bozo is better than bonzo – lol.
I’m not saying what Trump is doing is the correct answer, but it ain’t 1987 anymore and what was deemed right back then shouldn’t be assumed to be right now. China used Americans’ doctrinaire adherence to “free trade” to steal intellectual property and wrest too much manufacturing from the U.S., leaving us vulnerable.
There seems to be a correlation (excluding Mish) between being wedded to 80’s economic policy and bring bound to neocon foreign policy.
Extremely good final point. Agreed. It’s NOT 1987 economically or in most ways. Far from it.
And in 1987, trump was advocating full trade war with Japan as he is doing with others.
Sounds like Trump should have run against Bush Sr in 1990.
I think the negotiations were on trade not included in the usmca. I believe that treaty is still being honored.
I still assume lack of retaliation or limited retaliation is simply countries waiting for SCOTUS to overturn the tantrum tariffs under the major question doctrine. If you are a believer in the idea that government shouldn’t simply make up powers they were never given this is a good thing, if you are a Trump cultist not so much.
“IMAGINE BEING SO FRAGILE”
It’s hard to imagine. Trump truly is the world’s biggest snowflake, and he has the world’s biggest safe space.
i know. remember that time he murdered charlie kirk because charlie kirk said things that offended him? i mean …
Taco’s strategy is to pout like a baby rather than to follow through with his responsibilities.
He governs by the executive order and the presidential tantrum.
All of this is basically irrelevant
Canada under the globalist WEF installed Carney is a clear and present threat to US National Security.
They continue to destroy free speech and have wide open borders allowing invasion of islamic extremists and others we cannot allow to come so close to our northern border
They are part of the British Commonwealth. England is even more of an enemy for the same reasons
It is time to take Canada from England by force
Make Western Canada into a couple of US states and make Eastern Canada into a territory like Puerto Rico
Shut down the open border to our north to protect the US from future security risk
So much nonsense in one post.
Voluntary American Cancer
Carney was installed by Trump.
You lost me after stating “It is time to take Canada from England by force.”
Anyone who thinks Canada is a threat to the US has their head up Trump’s ass
In under 10 years you will look back and realize you have made an error in judgment Mish.,
And I do not give a damn about Trump nor do I trust him in any way
But I care greatly about free speech and other liberties.
There are 3 bills in the Canadian Parliament that look to make Canada an even worse country in terms of liberty than someplace like say China
We shall see if they pass or not
Canada will have worse “liberty” than China? Who cares? Let’s worry about our own country first. Control the borders; yes. Kill off trade with our biggest trade partner, you’re kidding, right? Using your logic, we should also annex Mexico and invade China. Drugs may pass through Canada, but from what I’ve read, they are manufactured in China. So let’s quit worrying about other countries and do what’s right for the good ol USA.
Lol! Tom. You are truly a dumb f*ck.
So maybe all the ignorant downvoters might educate themselves to what is going on in Canada
Here is one of many many videos that provide such information
https://rumble.com/v70k6am-digital-ids-palantir-and-corruption…-heres-how-you-can-protect-your-freed.html?e9s=src_v1_clr%2Csrc_v1_ucp_a
I live in Canada. Canada is a threat to the US under the liberal party, definitely not militarily but they have changed Canada into a semi quasi communist country
The LAST thing we want to do is takeover Canada. They are another Japan demographically. It’s another pensioner state that has far more per capita social support expenses than ours.
That is why you only make the Western provinces part of the states and the eastern half a territory without actual representation
Definitely keep the frenchies out.
you have no idea how disagreeable we can become.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQNI1KfGXBA&list=RDeQNI1KfGXBA&start_radio=1
Another Japan? Been to metro Toronto recently?
It’s customary to terminate sarcasm posts with a /S at the end, so people know you aren’t being serious.
I had the same thought. But I believe he is serious. He sounds like my grandmother in 1960. She hated the brits and anything to do with them, like Canada. She believe the brits sucked us into WW2, which it actually partly true.
And the Imperial Japanese Navy’s bombing of Pearl Harbour had nothing to do with the US being dragged into WW2
The men in the white coats are coming for you. Moron!