Canada Uses the Voice and Words of Ronald Reagan to Argue Against Tariffs. Trump Halts Talks.

by Rod Williams, Oct. 24, 2025- Late yesterday, Donald Trump halted trade talks with Canada over the above ad. This is how the Wall Street Journal reported it:

President Trump said late Thursday he was terminating trade negotiations with Canada, pointing to a television advertisement sponsored by the Ontario government that features Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about tariffs.

“Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post shortly before 11 p.m.

The president claimed that Canada “fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about Tariffs.” Trump argued the ad was designed to interfere with the Supreme Court and other courts as they weigh the legality of his far-reaching tariffs. (To read the rest of the story, follow this link)

This is just nuts! The Supreme Court is not influenced by a Canadian television advertisement. Ideally, the Supreme Court should not be influenced by the news or public opinion, and I think for the most part they are not. Trump is just a petulant child who cannot tolerate criticism. He can dish it out, but sure can't take it. 

Before Donald Trump, free trade was a bedrock principle of conservatism. For the most part, the post-depression position of the United States was for free trade and a reduction of tariffs. When anyone did argue for protectionism, it was usually a Democrat, but for the most part, there was a consensus that free trade was advantageous to the United States and the world. There was always, however, a kind of populist support for protectionism, but wiser, more informed viewpoints prevailed. Now, of course, the Republican Party has become the party of protectionism. The wise voices have been sidelined and the populists are in charge. While many a Trumpinista still say they revere Ronald Reagan, they subscribe to almost none of the positions he advocated. They get annoyed when it is pointed out that Trmpinistas are not the heirs of Reaganites. 

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