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‘Here are the words Trump doesn’t want you to see’: Politicians react to Ontario’s anti-tariff ad

October 24, 2025
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Former U.S. president Ronald Reagan's 1987 remarks on trade have sparked controversy after being used in an Ontario ad.

Canadian and American politicians are reacting after Donald Trump condemned an anti-tariff advertisement by the Ontario government.

The ad, which features an audio clip from a radio address of the late former U.S. president Ronald Reagan, was

called “fake”

by the current U.S. president. Trump also said all trade negotiations with Canada are “hereby terminated.” Reagan

made the radio address in April 1987

.

In a

statement

, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute said the ad “misrepresents” Reagan’s address. It also said that the Ontario government “did not seek nor receive permission to use and edit the remarks.”

But former Alberta premier Jason Kenney disagreed in a post on X.

He said the foundation does not “own copyright on the public domain statements of a president uttered 40 years ago, and disseminated by the White House.” He called it “laughably ridiculous” that such statements were subject to copyright limitations.

He asserted that the ad did not misrepresent Reagan’s address at all.

“In fact, everything he ever said about trade, before and after becoming President, is consistent with his principled opposition to tariffs,” he wrote.

The foundation “knows these things” he said, “but it is obvious” that their leadership is “easily intimidated by a call from the White House.”

Former Quebec premier Jean Charest posted a video of Reagan’s address on X, thanking Trump for “drawing our attention to a historic and foundational document in the Canada-U.S. economic relationship.”

“I invite everyone, especially our American friends, to listen to President Reagan’s full speech and form their own opinion about what he was truly saying,” said Charest.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, who had previously run a

campaign inviting Canadians to travel

to the western state, quoted Reagan in a post on X.

“Here are the words Trump doesn’t want you to see,” he wrote.

A quote from Reagan followed that said:  “When someone says, ‘Let’s impose tariffs on foreign imports,’ it looks like they’re doing the patriotic thing by protecting American products… Markets shrink and collapse, industries shut down and millions of people lose their jobs.”

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew showed his support for the Ford government’s ad.

“President Trump’s tariffs go against Ronald Reagan’s legacy. Doug Ford’s ads are good — keep them on TV,” he said.

A video shared by Kinew in the post shows him appearing on the screen of an old television. He addresses Manitoba residents, saying that the ad is accurate and powerful. “It’s clear that these ads are working,” he said. “If you throw a rock at a lake, and you don’t hear a splash, you’ve probably missed.”

Michael Reagan, the son of the late president, is the president of The Reagan Legacy Foundation. He

said

he watched a news story about Trump cancelling tariff negotiations with Canada. “However they left out that the ad that was used was a lie,” he wrote in a post on X.

In a separate tweet, he

said

“Trump responded correctly” with a thumbs up emoji.

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