The ad will be pulled on Oct. 27, after it airs during the weekend’s World Series games.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said following a discussion with Prime Minister Mark Carney his province will be pausing its TV advertising campaign that led U.S. President Donald Trump to end trade talks with Canada. The ad will be pulled on Oct. 27, after it airs during the weekend’s World Series games.
Our intention was always to initiate a conversation about the kind of economy that Americans want to build and the impact of tariffs on workers and businesses. We've achieved our goal, having reached U.S. audiences at the highest levels. I've directed my team to keep putting our…
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) October 24, 2025
“In speaking with Prime Minister Carney, Ontario will pause its U.S. advertising campaign effective Monday so that trade talks can resume,” Ford said in a statement posted on social media on Oct. 24.
Ford said the intention of the TV advertisements, which featured late U.S. President Ronald Reagan speaking critically of tariffs, was to “initiate a conversation” about the U.S. economy and the impact of tariffs on workers and businesses.
“We’ve achieved our goal, having reached U.S. audiences at the highest levels,” he said.
Ford said he has directed his team to “keep putting our message in front of Americans over the weekend” so that the commercial can be aired during the first two World Series games.
On Oct. 23, Trump said in a post on Truth Social that trade negotiations with Canada were “hereby terminated” because of the ad campaign.
In a subsequent post on Oct. 24, Trump said Canada had “cheated and got caught” by presenting Reagan’s words “fraudulently” to make it seem like he was not in favour of tariffs, “when he actually loved tariffs for our country and its national security.”
Trump also accused Canada of using the ad to influence the U.S. Supreme Court in its ruling on Trump’s reciprocal tariffs. The court is set to hear oral arguments on the tariffs on Nov. 5, and Trump has said he may attend the hearing in person.
Speaking to reporters before flying to Asia on Oct. 24, Prime Minister Carney did not mention the ad specifically, but said Canada was ready to “pick up” on trade talks when the United States was ready. He Canadian officials have had “detailed, constructive” negotiations with their American counterparts.
“A lot of progress has been made, and we stand ready to pick up on that progress and build on that progress when the Americans are ready to have those discussions,” he said.
