The advert is as squarely aimed at Middle America as they come. Opening on panoramic scenes of rural America, gleaming sun overhead, the one-minute film flits from scenes of American farmers, to factory workers, to diners – American flags flying proudly all the while. The only narration throughout is a speech from one of Republican America’s all-time favourite presidents: Ronald Reagan.

And yet this short advertisement has driven President Donald Trump into open fury, and reignited a trade war between America and its closest neighbour and longtime ally, Canada. That’s because while the advert is all-American, the entity paying for it is not – the Canadian province of Ontario, and its premier Doug Ford, launched it to protest against Trump’s trade policies to his most loyal heartland voter

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