Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Friday he has apologized to U.S. President Donald Trump over a controversial advertisement produced by the government of Ontario, which angered Washington and led to the suspension of trade negotiations between the two countries.
“I did apologize to the president,” Mark Carney told reporters while attending an event in South Korea, where both leaders were present for a summit hosted by South Korea’s president.
The ad, aired during World Series broadcasts, was not a federal government initiative but rather a campaign commissioned by Ontario Premier Doug Ford. The 60-second spot featured a heavily edited clip of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan’s 1987 radio address in which Reagan criticized tariffs.
Although the remarks used in the ad were genuine, they were selectively edited, removing portions of Reagan’s speech that balanced his criticism of tariffs with support for fair trade.
The ad drew an immediate and furious reaction from President Trump, who blasted it as “FAKE” on social media and announced he was terminating trade negotiations with Canada. Trump accused the Canadian government of trying to distort Reagan’s legacy to score political points amid ongoing tensions over tariffs.
The president also declared a 10% tariff hike on goods imported from Canada an escalation that threatens to strain economic relations already under pressure from Trump’s broader trade policies.
“Canada is misrepresenting one of our greatest presidents to attack my administration’s trade agenda,” Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform.
Mark Carney said he sought to defuse the situation personally when both leaders attended a dinner hosted by South Korea’s president on October 29, where he offered his apology in person. Trump later told reporters he had a “very nice” conversation with Carney during the event.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who commissioned the ad, announced on October 27 that the campaign would be paused “so that trade talks can resume.”
“I told Ford I did not want to go forward with the ad,” Carney revealed.
The Ontario government has faced domestic criticism for the move, which some observers say risked undermining national diplomacy and economic stability for political theater.
The White House objected to the omission, saying it misrepresented Reagan’s nuanced position and falsely implied that he opposed all forms of tariffs including those justified as measures to ensure fairness.
Trump’s decision to freeze talks with Canada comes as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments on November 5 in a landmark case that could determine the legality of Trump’s sweeping tariff policies.
Mark Carney’s apology marks a rare act of personal diplomacy aimed at restoring momentum to one of the world’s most significant trading relationships. Whether it will be enough to bring Washington back to the negotiating table remains to be seen.