Trump: Trade Negotiations With Canada Terminated
President Donald Trump, after a commercial aired in Ontario with audio from Ronald Reagan pointing out that tariffs harm the country that imposes them, declared on social media after 11 p.m. Oct. 23, "Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED."
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Trump complained that Canadian officials "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."
Again, the next morning, Trump complained about the ad. "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. Canada has long cheated on Tariffs, charging our farmers as much as 400%. Now they, and other countries, can’t take advantage of the U.S. any longer. Thank you to the Ronald Reagan Foundation for exposing this FRAUD."
The Ontario government planned to air the ad in the U.S., which opens with 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."
The audio is legitimate, but some of the quotes were strung together. The full address, about tariffs on Japanese semiconductors, says, "the way of prosperity for all nations is rejecting protectionist legislation and promoting fair and free competition."