Former U.S. President Donald Trump lost his cool on October 24 after watching a controversial Canadian government advertisement aired during a Major League Baseball World Series broadcast. The ad criticized Trump’s tariff policy, using edited words from former U.S. President Ronald Reagan — something that left Trump furious.
Soon after, Trump announced a 10% hike in tariffs on Canada and declared a complete suspension of trade talks between the two countries.
The Controversial Ad
The advertisement used parts of Ronald Reagan’s 1987 radio speech to argue that tariffs harm American workers and consumers. In the ad, Reagan’s voice says:
“When someone says, ‘Let’s put tariffs on foreign imports,’ it may sound patriotic. But in the long run, such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer.”
Trump blasted the ad as “misleading” and wrote on Truth Social:
“Due to the serious misrepresentation of facts, I am increasing tariffs on Canada by 10%. This will be in addition to existing tariffs.”
He also accused the ad makers of manipulating Reagan’s speech, saying that Reagan “actually supported tariffs for national security reasons.”
What Canada Says
According to reports, the ad was released by the Ontario provincial government. It combined edited clips from Reagan’s old speech to highlight the negative economic effects of tariffs.
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Following the controversy, Trump raised import duties and halted trade negotiations with Canada.
Trump Praises Pakistan’s Leaders, Talks About Global Peace
During the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur on October 26, Trump praised Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, calling them “great people.”
He also expressed hope to resolve the ongoing Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions, saying:
“I know both sides very well. Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif are great people. We will settle it soon.”
Trump further claimed that his administration had ended eight global conflicts in just eight months, calling it an “unmatched record in U.S. history.”
He added:
“No president before me has ever resolved so many wars. They start wars, but they don’t end them.”
Earlier this month, Trump had recalled Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Washington, where he allegedly praised Trump for saving millions of lives by helping to stop an India-Pakistan conflict. However, India denied any third-party mediation in that incident.
Conclusion
Trump’s reaction to the Canadian ad and his strong words at the ASEAN Summit show that he remains an assertive voice in global trade and diplomacy. Whether his tariff hike will impact U.S.–Canada relations remains to be seen.
