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Ontario Launches $75 Million U.S. Ad Using Reagan’s 1987 Anti‑Tariff Message

Ford is targeting Republican audiences to argue tariffs hurt American workers.

Overview

  • The province unveiled a $75 million television campaign aimed at U.S. Republican viewers to pressure President Donald Trump to roll back tariffs.
  • The 60‑second spot features Ronald Reagan’s April 25, 1987 radio address warning that protectionist tariffs shrink markets, shut businesses and cost jobs.
  • Buys begin on Newsmax and Bloomberg this week, expand within two weeks to Fox, NBC, CBS, CNBC, ESPN and ABC plus local affiliates and Comcast, Spectrum and Sinclair stations, and run through Jan. 31, 2026; Ford’s office says CNN is unlikely to approve the ad.
  • Ford cited Yale and Center for Automotive Research estimates that tariffs would cost U.S. households about $2,400 annually, eliminate roughly 500,000 jobs and add nearly US$108 billion to automakers’ costs this year.
  • Opposition figures in Ontario condemned the spending as misplaced, noting the province’s U.S. ad buys now exceed $100 million since last year.