U.S. President Donald Trump continued his sharp criticism of Canada on Saturday, accusing it of a “dirty trick,” despite Ontario’s decision to suspend a controversial television ad campaign that had sparked a major diplomatic rift between Washington and Ottawa, AFP reported.
The campaign, produced by Ontario’s provincial government, featured former U.S. President Ronald Reagan criticizing trade tariffs. Although Ontario announced Friday that the campaign would be halted, officials confirmed that the ads would still air in the United States over the weekend during the first two games of the North American baseball championship finals — an event that traditionally attracts large audiences.
“Canada was caught cheating in an ad — can you believe it?” Trump told reporters on Friday before departing for an Asian diplomatic tour. “I heard they’re going to withdraw the ad. I didn’t know they’d still run it for a bit. They could have pulled it tonight,” he added, referring to the commercial that had prompted him to break off trade talks with Canada a day earlier.
Reacting to the partial withdrawal, Trump denounced the move as a “dirty trick,” vowing that he “can play tougher tricks than they can.” He also stated he had no intention of meeting or speaking with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney following the incident.
A U.S. official had earlier suggested that a meeting between Trump and Carney could take place on Wednesday in South Korea, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
Trump’s decision on Thursday evening to cut off all trade negotiations with Canada came after he accused Ottawa of distorting Ronald Reagan’s words in an anti-tariff campaign. Before the controversy erupted, discussions on a potential trade agreement between Washington and Ottawa covering steel, aluminum, and energy had reportedly been progressing positively, according to The Globe and Mail.
Despite the dispute, around 85% of cross-border trade between the two countries remains exempt from tariffs, with both the U.S. and Canada still parties to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). However, Trump’s global tariff policies — particularly those targeting steel, aluminum, and the automotive sector — have hit Canada’s economy hard, leading to job losses and mounting pressure on key industries.