Did Canada Just Get Tariff-Slapped Over a TV Ad? Seriously?

Sometimes politics feels like a drama series that somehow never gets canceled. Season 2025 is already delivering plot twists. The newest one: Trump hits Canada with tariffs again… because of a commercial. Yes, apparently a TV ad can now trigger international economics. Someone grab the popcorn.

So what actually happened?

The short version: Canada ran a commercial in Ontario using Ronald Reagan clips to dunk on Trump’s tariffs. Trump got mad. Really mad.
He called the ad “fraudulent” and said Reagan would have totally been a tariff superfan. Then he hiked tariffs by another 10%. Just like that.

Trade talks between the US and Canada? Paused. Feelings? Hurt.
The vibe? A sibling fight but with billions of dollars at stake.

(Quick aside: somewhere, a communications intern in Ottawa is probably sweating through their shirt.)

Why tariffs again?

Trump has been obsessed with using tariffs as leverage. He thinks Canada is unfair in trade. Canadians think they’re just… being Canada. Maple syrup, hockey, polite negotiations. It’s the eternal friction.

Here is what’s already on the table:
• Steel and aluminum tariffs
• Car and timber tariffs
• And now… a tariff penalty for political advertising?

Let’s be real. This is kind of new ground.

A commercial triggered this?

Imagine if every irritated political leader could slap tariffs over irritating TV spots. Half of Hollywood would be considered a national security threat.
That said, maybe the Reagan clip hit a nerve.

Canada didn’t rush to take the ad down. Trump doubled down with the “hostile act” language. He talks like a guy who watched a negative campaign commercial at halftime and started plotting revenge before the nachos got cold.

What about Canada’s response?

Ontario Premier Doug Ford basically said: fine, we’ll stop running the ad.
Prime Minister Mark Carney is being diplomatic in his classic Carney way.
Pierre Poilievre saw a fresh chance to say Carney messed something up. Because Canadian politics, folks.

Meanwhile Canadian workers in affected industries are probably whispering to no one in particular: “Can we not?”

So, where is this heading?

Three big possibilities:

1. The ad goes dark and trade talks restart
2. Trump keeps pressing and Canada gets feistier
3. Someone creates another ad and we end up with tariff ping-pong

Honestly, it’s exhausting. Trade policy shouldn’t feel like reality TV. Yet here we are. The world’s friendliest border is suddenly arguing like a couple who can’t agree on where to eat dinner.

Final thought

Politics gets petty sometimes. Still, when the pettiness hits tariffs and jobs, it stops being funny. Canada and the US are like old friends who really need a timeout. Maybe a Tim Hortons run. Actually, that might fix half of this.