Ontario Premier Doug Ford has doubled down on his provocative ad released earlier this month targeting the Trump administration's tariffs which uses the words of former President Ronald Reagan to argue against the duties.
Speaking to reporters late Monday at the Ontario Legislature in Toronto, Ford said, "We achieved our goal. As we say, mission accomplished."
"They're talking about it in the U.S., and they weren't talking about it before I put the ad on. I'm glad that Ronald Reagan was a free trader," Ford added, claiming the ad has received more than a billion impressions around the world.
The 60-second commercial uses excerpts from a 1987 radio address by Reagan in an effort to sway public opinion on tariffs in Republican-held districts. The ad ran during Friday night's World Series game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays.
"Do you know why President Trump is so upset right now? Because it's effective, it's working, it woke up the whole country," Ford continued.
President Donald Trump was not amused by the campaign and said this past weekend he intends to increase tariffs on Canadian imports by 10% in direct response to the ad and threatened to end trade discussions with Canada.
The ad has reportedly set back the relationship between Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Trump, which had been improving in recent months.
Ford said Carney's office was aware of the commercial, adding, "He saw the ad before I put it out, so did his chief of staff. They both saw it, and we moved forward on it."
Carney attempted to downplay the ad's impact when asked by reporters in Malaysia whether it had spoiled a pending deal involving aluminum and steel.
"In any complicated, high-stakes negotiation, you can get unexpected twists and turns. You have to keep your cool during those situations," Carney said.
The Ontario premier has carved out a niche for himself as a thorn in the side of the Trump administration, creating his own brand of Canadian populism.
In February, Ford ordered American-made alcohol removed from shelves in Ontario's government-regulated liquor stores until a new trade deal is reached.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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