"Mission accomplished": Ontario Premier Ford defends ad that triggered Trump

Ontario Premier Doug Ford claimed his anti-tariff ad featuring Ronald Reagan led to Trump canceling trade negotiations. The ad, which went viral and garnered over a billion views, prompted Trump to threaten raising Canadian tariffs by 10%. Ford, a long-time critic of Trump's trade policies, stated he removed the ad after discussing it with Prime Minister Mark Carney to restart talks. Ford claimed he had the support of most Canadian premiers for the ad, declaring "mission accomplished." He aims to secure a fair trade agreement for Ontario and Canada, not a one-sided deal. The Reagan Foundation criticized the ad for misrepresenting Reagan's speech and unauthorized use. Despite Trump's anger, his administration didn't fully support the tariff increase. Treasury Secretary Bessent downplayed the importance of retaliating against Canada, prioritizing deals with China. The USMCA trade deal exempts most Canadian exports from tariffs, diminishing the threat's impact.