October 27, 2025 11:59 PM IST
First published on: Oct 27, 2025 at 11:58 PM IST
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Doug Ford, the Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario. (Photo: Reuters)
Doug Ford, the Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario, has defended his controversial ad, featuring former US President Ronald Reagan. According to Ford, the ad, which angered US President Donald Trump, had over a “billion impressions around the world and generated a conversation that wasn’t happening in the US.”
Ontario’s ad on US TV
The ad, which was released on October 16 in the US, made headlines around the world after Trump took objection to it. It criticised Trump’s tariffs by citing a speech from Reagan. The ad featured excerpts from a 1987 national radio address in which Reagan said tariffs “hurt every American”.
Story continues below this ad
Trump ended trade talks with Canada and slapped another 10 per cent tariffs over the ad. (Photo: Video screengrab)
Trump’s reaction to Reagan ad
This, however, did not go down well with Trump, who announced on Truth Social that he was terminating all trade negotiations with Canada. Following the outburst by Trump, Ford announced that he will pause the ad on Monday for the US-Canada trade negotiations to resume. But the ad continued to be aired across the US over the weekend, including during the World Series games of the Major League Baseball on Friday and Saturday. This further angered Trump, who announced an additional 10 per cent tariffs on Canada. “Their Advertisement was to be taken down, IMMEDIATELY, but they let it run last night during the World Series, knowing that it was a FRAUD. Because of their serious misrepresentation of the facts, and hostile act, I am increasing the Tariff on Canada by 10% over and above what they are paying now,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
US President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney meet in the Oval Office of the White House. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
‘Ad was effective’
According to US media reports, Ontario shelled out $75 million for the 60-second ad that was aired across primetime World Series programming on Fox, ESPN, and Bloomberg. Unfazed by Trump’s announcements, the Ontario Premier said it was the “best ad I ever ran.” According to The Associated Press, Ford said he has achieved his goals. “You know why President Trump is so upset right now? It was because it was effective,” Ford said.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks to journalists before a meeting with federal, provincial and territorial leaders at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo: REUTERS/Blair Gable)
Ford gets backing of Carney
Despite being political opponents, Ford, a Conservative and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, a Liberal, were on the same page when it came to the criticism of US tariffs. Carney on Sunday called Ford ”a good friend’ and accidentally referred to him as ‘President Ford’. ‘God! Sorry, I don’t know why I mix the two up — President and Premier Ford,” he said.
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Doug Ford, the Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario. (Photo: Reuters) 
