Ontario Premier Doug Ford demanded an apology from President Donald Trump‘s ambassador to Canada on Wednesday in the fallout from the northern neighbor’s anti-tariff advertisement.
Ford’s remarks referenced a tense exchange between U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra and Ontario’s trade representative, David Paterson, over an ad that Ontario ran on television criticizing Trump’s tariffs.
“Pete, you gotta call Dave up and apologize, it’s simple,” Ford said during a press conference in Toronto. “You know, the cheese slipped off the cracker. I get it. You’re ticked off, but call the guy up because you’re a good guy, and Dave’s my champion.”
The anti-tariff commercial has been the source of renewed trade tensions between the United States and Canada.
Trump threatened to impose an additional 10% tariff on Canadian imports, adding to the 35% rate for goods not compliant with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and a 50% rate on steel and aluminum.
The one-minute ad, paid for by Ford’s government, featured former President Ronald Reagan‘s 1987 address denouncing tariffs on foreign goods. Trump said Ontario “lied” about Reagan’s views on tariffs, while Ford insisted it was “very factual.”
After the ad first aired, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute said it “misrepresents” Reagan’s address and disclosed that Ford’s government “did not seek nor receive permission to use and edit the remarks.”
The $75 million ad targeted House Republican districts in the U.S.
“They’re talking about it in the U.S., and they weren’t talking about it before I put the ad on,” Ford said, noting the viral television spot generated “over one billion impressions” online.
On Monday, Ford said he decided to withdraw the ad after speaking with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in an attempt to resume trade talks with the U.S.
Trump announced last week that he ended trade negotiations with Canada over the ad. This week, he said he doesn’t intend to meet with Carney “for a while,” even though the two saw each other in passing at summits in Malaysia and South Korea.
“I don’t want to meet with him,” Trump said on Monday aboard Air Force One during his three-nation diplomatic tour to Asia. “No, I’m not going to be meeting with them for a while. I’m very happy with the deal we have right now with Canada. We’re going to let it ride.”
TRUMP INCREASES TARIFF ON CANADA AFTER REAGAN AD RE-AIRS
No further details have been provided by the White House about the expected tariff hike.
Tensions between the two nations could cool down in the coming weeks. Ford is slated to meet Hoekstra at Canada’s annual Thanksgiving dinner in Toronto on Nov. 17.
