President Donald Trump has abruptly canceled trade negotiations with Canada, all because of a cheeky TV ad that repurposed Ronald Reagan’s golden-oldies rant against tariffs. The ad, courtesy of Ontario’s government, turned the conservative icon into an unlikely pitchman for free trade, leaving Trump fuming and history buffs chuckling.
The ad in question isn’t some deepfake fever dream—it’s a snappy edit of Reagan’s 1987 radio address, where the former president spent a solid five minutes eviscerating tariffs like they were the spinach in Popeye’s can.
Aired on major U.S. networks during everything from baseball playoffs to prime-time drama, it features Reagan’s folksy barbs about how tariffs jack up prices, spark trade wars, and basically turn the economy into a sad trombone solo.
Trump lit up Truth Social calling the spot “fake” and accusing it of twisting Reagan’s words into a pretzel. In a follow-up rant, he boldly declared that Reagan “LOVED TARIFFS FOR OUR COUNTRY,” as if the Gipper had a secret tattoo reading “Smoot-Hawley Forever” under that cowboy hat.
But hold the ranch dressing—Reagan’s actual speech, archived on YouTube by the Reagan Library, is a love letter to free trade, complete with warnings about the Smoot-Hawley tariffs that turbocharged the Great Depression. He grumbled about being “loath” to slap barriers on anyone, noting how they breed job losses faster than a reality TV cancellation.
Of course, Reagan wasn’t above a tactical tariff tango. Just before that Camp David mic drop, he’d hiked duties on Japanese semiconductors, blasting Tokyo for flooding the market with cheap tech that left American giants like General Motors and RCA nursing their egos.
“We expect our trading partners to live up to their agreements,” Reagan thundered—words that could double as Trump’s Twitter bio.
The ad’s creators, Ontario’s government under Premier Doug Ford, didn’t mince words: They bought airtime on every major network to “blast” Reagan’s wisdom straight to American living rooms.
Ford, in a speech that sounded like a hockey coach’s pep talk, aimed to remind folks that even conservative royalty thought tariffs were about as smart as trading maple syrup for snow.
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute cried foul, labeling the ad a “misrepresentation” for its selective snips. They didn’t specify the foul play, but hinted at legal jujitsu, urging fans to binge the unedited version like it’s the director’s cut of “Bedtime for Bonzo.”
Trump’s cancellation? It’s left trade wonks scratching their heads, wondering if this is negotiation jujitsu or just a Reagan remix too far. With the Toronto Blue Jays eyeing World Series glory, Canadians are left pondering: Is this protectionism, or just sour grapes over a ghosted Gipper?
The fallout has ironic echoes—Reagan himself warned tariffs kick off retaliatory ping-pong that hurts everyone, yet here we are, with talks tabled over a 37-year-old audio clip. Economists, ever the party poopers, nod along: High barriers reduce competition, hike costs, and make your iPhone as pricey as a vintage DeLorean.
As Ontario’s ad keeps running—now with extra innings thanks to the Jays’ playoff run—Trump’s team insists it’s about “national security.” Because nothing screams secure like boycotting buddies over a borrowed soundbite from the man who tore down walls, not built them with tax walls.
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