U.S. President Donald Trump announced an immediate end to trade negotiations with Canada late Thursday night.
The Guardian said it’s a result of Trump’s opposition to a TV ad from Canada that quoted former president Ronald Reagan.
The provincial government of Ontario paid for the ad, which uses excerpts from a 1987 speech where the former president said, “Trade barriers hurt every American worker.” Trump posted on social media that Canada had “fraudulently” used an advertisement which he called “fake,” and accused Canada of trying to interfere with U.S. court decisions on the tariffs.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that all trade negotiations have been suspended indefinitely.
Trump also claimed that the ad was intended to influence the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court hearings on the legality of his global tariffs.
Those hearings begin on November 5. The ad also quoted Reagan as saying, “The way to prosperity is working together.”
