U.S. President Donald Trump revealed that Prime Minister Mark Carney personally apologized to him for the Ontario government’s controversial advertisement that used excerpts from former President Ronald Reagan’s speech to convey an anti-tariff message to an American audience. Trump, during a spontaneous conversation with journalists on Air Force One, stated that while he maintains a positive relationship with Carney, he found the ad to be misleading. According to Trump, Carney acknowledged the error and expressed regret for the content of the commercial, emphasizing that it misrepresented Reagan’s stance on tariffs.
This incident stemmed from the Ontario government launching a one-minute ad on October 14, featuring segments from Reagan’s 1987 radio address discussing free trade. The ad selectively quoted Reagan, who actually advocated for limited tariff application while opposing broader tariff usage, remaining a staunch supporter of free trade during his presidency. Following the airing of the ad, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute criticized the Ontario government on social media. Subsequently, Trump reacted by terminating trade negotiations with Canada, denouncing the ad as fake and fraudulent.
Prime Minister Carney confirmed his apology to Trump and disassociated himself from the ad’s content, stating that it did not align with his views. Carney also mentioned that he had reviewed the ad before its public release and had expressed reservations to Ontario Premier Doug Ford regarding its appropriateness. The fallout from the ad led to Ford agreeing to temporarily halt the ad campaign, albeit after it had already aired during the World Series.
In a recent statement, Trump recounted a face-to-face meeting with Carney at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit, affirming their amicable relationship despite the ad controversy. Ford’s office declined to provide further comments on the matter, underscoring Trump’s position that an apology had been extended for the ad.
