PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP ANNOUNCED HE'S ENDING ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA BECAUSE OF A TELEVISION AD OPPOSING U.S. TARIFFS THAT HE SAID MISSTATED THE FACTS AND CALLED “EGREGIOUS BEHAVIOR” AIMED AT INFLUENCING U.S. COURT DECISIONS.

 

THE POST ON TRUMP'S SOCIAL MEDIA SITE CAME THURSDAY NIGHT AFTER CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER MARK CARNEY SAID HE AIMS TO DOUBLE HIS COUNTRY’S EXPORTS TO COUNTRIES OUTSIDE THE U.S. BECAUSE OF THE THREAT POSED BY TRUMP’S TARIFFS.

 

SOUNDBITE (English, followed by French) Mark Carney, Canadian Prime Minister:

“We can’t control the trade policy of the United States. We recognize that that policy has fundamentally changed from the policy in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s.”

 

THE TELEVISION AD FEATURES A 1987 SPEECH FROM FORMER PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN SPEAKING ABOUT TARIFFS.

 

TRUMP POSTED, “THE RONALD REAGAN FOUNDATION HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT CANADA HAS FRAUDULENTLY USED AN ADVERTISEMENT, WHICH IS FAKE, FEATURING RONALD REAGAN SPEAKING NEGATIVELY ABOUT TARIFFS.”

 

TRUMP'S CALL FOR AN ABRUPT END TO NEGOTIATIONS COULD FURTHER INFLAME TRADE TENSIONS THAT ALREADY HAVE BEEN BUILDING BETWEEN THE TWO NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES FOR MONTHS.