So, you have to give credit to Doug Ford, who managed to capture Donald Trump’s attention with the Ronald Reagan TV ads.
To be clear, our position on this blog is simple: Trump wants to stall Canada until after USMCA negotiations, because he clearly prefers bilateral trade deals with both Mexico and Canada rather than a joint approach.
That said, Doug Ford seems intent on reminding Americans that when prices rise in the United States — which they are — it’s Trump’s fault. In my view, that’s what this advertisement is really about. It targets both left-leaning voters and libertarians.
Now, libertarians will likely vote for Trump anyway, but they don’t like being bullied into any politician’s agenda. That’s where Ford’s strategy makes sense — because it has already forced Trump to react. What remains to be seen is whether Ford decides to pull the ad, which, in my opinion, would be a mistake given his apparent motives.
I can’t say for certain what Doug Ford’s motives are, but it seems his political calculus may be tied to Mark Carney’s alignment with the Justin Trudeau agenda. If Ford is embracing a “Team Canada” strategy while Carney continues pushing ESG and Net Zero — policies that make Canada less competitive — then Ford cannot remain passive. He has to act.
When I observe Mark Carney, I see a man with an impressive résumé but no executional strength. On paper, Carney looks exceptional, but in the private sector, he’s a tuna fish — competent, perhaps, but untested in the real world of competition. Whether he’s compromised or simply out of touch doesn’t matter much; the result is the same — wastefulness. And wasteful people get bullied by those who have intention and focus.
Doug Ford has intention — and he’s trying to play the best hand he’s been dealt.
Mark Carney, on the other hand, isn’t even “elbows up”; he’s bent over, pants down. His posture is one of appeasement while increasing the deficit and making it harder for the private sector to repay the debt he’s creating.
If you’re Doug Ford, you take matters into your own hands. Trump can string Carney along all he wants because Carney’s obsession with ESG and Net Zero, coupled with Canada’s protectionist policies, leaves him with zero leverage.
Canada’s Hidden Debt Problem
On paper, Canada has the lowest gross government debt in the G7, but beneath that surface lies a massive unfunded liabilities problem, which Carney’s policies are worsening.
For years, we’ve warned that if you live in Alberta and contribute to the CPP, get out while you can, because public servants don’t contribute to the CPP, and Canada’s welfare programs are heading toward an unexpected debt cliff.
The private sector is shrinking rapidly, and Carney is not only increasing deficit spending — he’s also making it harder for what’s left of the productive economy to grow and repay the mounting debt.
Combine that with Trump’s stall tactics, and you begin to understand why a potential economic collapse is looming.
So, is what Doug Ford did right or wrong? I actually think it’s a smart move.
Trump is stalling — and Ford’s ad campaign ensures that more Americans will blame inflation on Trump, not on Canada.
Trump’s Reaction
President Donald Trump announced Thursday night that he was terminating all trade negotiations with Canada because Ontario’s provincial government aired an ad featuring former President Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs.
Trump’s statement accused Canada of attempting to influence a pending U.S. Supreme Court case that could jeopardize many of his tariffs, including those imposed on Canada.
His comments came after the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute said that Ford’s ad misrepresented a 1987 Reagan radio address, edited without authorization. The foundation did not specify what was misleading but encouraged viewers to watch the full, unedited version on its YouTube channel. It also stated it was reviewing legal options.
“The Ronald Reagan Foundation has just announced that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about tariffs,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“They only did this to interfere with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court and other courts.”
“TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY AND ECONOMY OF THE U.S.A. Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED,” he added.
Ford’s Response
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on October 14 that the province would spend $75 million on ads to run in the United States featuring Reagan’s message against tariffs.
“And we’re going to repeat that message in every Republican district across the entire country,” Ford said, calling himself “a big Ronald Reagan fan.”
Ford posted the ad on X (formerly Twitter) on October 16.
In the ad, Reagan says:
“When someone says, ‘Let’s impose tariffs on foreign imports,’ it looks like they’re doing the patriotic thing by protecting American products and jobs.
And sometimes for a short while it works — but only for a short time.
Over the long run, such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer.”
Trump, who has made tariffs a central feature of his second-term platform, saw this as a direct attack.
Background: Trump’s Pattern of Trade Terminations
This is not the first time Trump has made such a declaration.
On June 27, he announced that the United States was “terminating ALL discussions on trade with Canada” after Ottawa proposed a digital services tax on U.S. tech companies.
Canada rescinded that tax two days later.
Final Thought
Whether you agree with Ford’s tactics or not, he’s forcing a conversation that both Trudeau and Carney seem unwilling to have:
Canada’s private sector is collapsing under the weight of government intervention, ESG overreach, and structural complacency.
Trump may be stalling, but Ford is fighting — and that makes him one of the few Canadian politicians showing any real strategy on the North American stage.
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