President Donald Trump says he has “terminated” trade negotiations with Canada on Thursday night due to what he says is a fraudulent ad including former President Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about tariffs.
Why It Matters
An abrupt termination of trade negotiations between the U.S. and Canada would mark a significant escalation in economic tensions between the two longtime allies and trading partners.
The announcement also takes place as the Supreme Court prepares to consider the limits of presidential authority over tariffs—a pivotal legal issue with potential for wide-ranging effects on U.S. trade policy and executive power.
What To Know
In his post to Truth Social on Thursday night, Trump said, “The Ronald Reagan Foundation has just announced that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about Tariffs.”
The president continued: “The ad was for $75,000. 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. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DJT”
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute posted about the ad on X Thursday night in a statement, saying in part that the ad used “selective audio and video” of Reagan.
This is a developing story that will be updated with additional information.
