President Donald Trump just turned up the heat on Canada with a fresh 10% tariff hike, and it’s all over a slick ad campaign that’s got the MAGA crowd seeing red, as New York Post reports.
This latest trade spat exploded after Trump accused Ontario of airing a deceptive ad featuring Ronald Reagan, terminated trade talks on Thursday, and then slapped on the new tariff penalty by Saturday, while Ontario’s premier paused the campaign too late for the president’s liking.
Let’s rewind to the start: Trump’s been locked in a trade battle with Canada for a while, already hitting them with a hefty 35% tariff on goods like steel, aluminum, and cars.
Things got personal when Ontario rolled out a $75 million anti-tariff ad campaign, splashing clips from Reagan’s 1987 speech across major U.S. networks like Fox, NBC, and CNBC, even during Game 1 of the World Series.
The ad, which warns that tariffs “hurt” Americans, didn’t just catch Trump’s eye—it lit a fire under him, especially since he claims it twists Reagan’s legacy.
“Canada had been ‘caught, red handed’ using ‘selective audio and video’ of Reagan’s 1987 radio address in an ad opposing tariffs,” Trump declared, not mincing words about what he sees as a cheap shot (President Donald Trump).
Adding fuel to the fire, the Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute slammed Ontario for using the late president’s remarks without permission, hinting at legal action.
They’re backing Trump’s view that the ad distorts Reagan’s message, which is a bitter pill for conservatives who revere the Gipper’s memory.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford tried to play peacemaker, agreeing on Monday to pause the campaign after chats with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, but not before letting it run through the first two World Series games featuring the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Ford’s defense—“an effort to ‘initiate a conversation’ about the economic fallout of tariffs”—didn’t soothe the sting for Trump, who saw the delayed pause as a deliberate snub (Ontario Premier Doug Ford).
By Saturday, Trump had enough, announcing the 10% tariff hike on top of the existing rates, citing what he called a “hostile act” by Canada.
Trade talks? Dead in the water since Thursday, when Trump pulled the plug over the ad debacle, leaving Canada’s new PM, Mark Carney, scrambling to rebuild bridges.
Now, whispers of a full-blown trade war are getting louder, as this latest tariff bump threatens to choke cross-border commerce even further.
Conservatives might cheer Trump’s tough stance, but let’s be real—higher tariffs often mean higher prices for everyday Americans, and that’s a conversation worth having, even if Ontario’s ad was a clumsy way to start it.
Still, with both sides dug in, and Carney pushing to restart negotiations, this saga is far from over, and the economic fallout could hit harder than a World Series fastball.
