Trump flew into a fury Thursday and cancelled all trade negotiations with America's neighbor to the north over a TV advert promoted by the Government of Ontario that used a vintage radio address by 40th U.S. president Ronald Reagan cautioning against the long-term use of tariffs as a foreign policy weapon.
Challenging the idea that protectionism is patriotic as he defended placing higher levies on Japanese electronics imports, Reagan argued in the speech broadcast from Camp David on April 25, 1987: "Over the long run, such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer. High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars."
Trump fumed on Truth Social in response to the ad: "The Ronald Reagan Foundation has just announced that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about Tariffs.
"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."
Discussing Trump's latest blow-up on Morning Joe, host Joe Scarborough took issue with the Reagan Foundation's claim that the ad's creators had used "selective audio and video" of their figurehead to "misrepresent" the substance of his address, pointing out that the original version is available on YouTube from the body's own account and matches the words used in the ad.
Co-host Jonathan Lemire chimed in: "It's what Reagan said and our current president is so easily triggered that a TV commercial can change international policy, trade policy, foreign policy. I mean it's sort of an extraordinary encapsulation of where things are right now for this administration."
Lemire went on to place Trump's outburst in the context of his imminent trip to Asia, where trade relations with China and South Korea are delicately poised, and the U.S. Supreme Court being asked to weigh up the legality of his tariff program and rule on whether it can continue.
"This is the president of the United States throwing a fit over an ad and we should note the timing of this is pretty remarkable because he gets angry about this today? What's tonight? Tonight is Game 1 of the World Series. Where is that game being played? Toronto, Canada," he continued, alluding to the face-off between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"Oh boy," interjected Mika Brzezinski.
"So there's going to be... let's watch the American national anthem likely get booed tonight like it was during that hockey tournament earlier in the spring," Lemire continued, referencing the jeering of "The Star-Spangled Banner" before a heated encounter between the Vancouver Canucks and Colorado Avalanches in February.
"This is going to set... the exact moment where we should be celebrating our friendship with Canada, this happens."
Trump was still angry about the clip on Friday morning, seething in another post: "CANADA CHEATED AND GOT CAUGHT!!! They fraudulently took a big buy ad saying that Ronald Reagan did not like Tariffs, when actually he LOVED TARIFFS FOR OUR COUNTRY, AND ITS NATIONAL SECURITY.
"Canada has long cheated on Tariffs, charging our farmers as much as 400 percent. Now they, and other countries, can't take advantage of the U.S. any longer."