Mark Carney apologizes to Trump over controversial Reagan ad campaign

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Saturday that he apologized to US President Donald Trump over a controversial political ad that quoted former President Ronald Reagan’s 1987 radio speech criticizing trade barriers.

The ad, which aired on US television networks, showed clips of Reagan warning that tariffs would lead to trade wars and economic disasters.

The ad, which used Reagan’s words to criticize Trump’s tariff policies toward Canada, was quickly rebuked by the White House. The White House accused Canada of taking Reagan’s words out of context. In response, Trump canceled trade talks with Canada and increased tariffs on Canadian imports by 10%.

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“I apologized to the president,” Carney said on Saturday, speaking to reporters after attending the Asia-Pacific Summit in South Korea.

Carney said he apologized to Trump privately when they attended a dinner hosted by the South Korean president on Wednesday.

Trump said on Friday that Carney had been generous in his apology.

Trump said, according to Reuters: “He was very nice. He apologized for what they did in the ad.”

Carney said he reviewed the ad with Ontario Premier Doug Ford before it aired but was opposed to running it. Ford commissioned the advertisement.

“I told Ford I didn’t want to go ahead with the ad,” Carney said.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Donald Trump pose for a photo during the G7 summit on June 16, 2025. (Brendan Smalowski/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images)

Ford, a conservative, previously said the Oct. 14 campaign ad sought to “take the words of Ronald Reagan and deliver them to the American people” on major American networks. He said the ad wasn’t bad and was “very realistic.”

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Despite negative reactions from the White House, Ford doubled down on his stance last week, calling it “the best ad I’ve ever run,” according to Newsweek.

Trump had previously criticized the ad, writing on Truth Social that Canada “fooled and got caught.”

“They fraudulently took out a huge ad saying Ronald Reagan doesn’t like tariffs, when in fact he likes tariffs for our country and its national security,” Trump said in a social media post last week after the ad was unveiled.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, a nonprofit seeking to continue his legacy, claimed the ad campaign used “selective audio” that “misrepresented” Reagan’s address.

President Ronald Reagan is seen sitting at a desk in the Oval Office of the White House after delivering a speech to the nation regarding the Iran-Contra affair. (Diana Walker/Getty Images/Getty Images)

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Meanwhile, Carney met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday and stated that the talks marked a turning point in relations after years of tension.

Carney said the trip to Asia was part of efforts to reduce Canada’s dependence on the United States.

“It can’t happen overnight, but we are moving very quickly,” he added.

Reuters contributed to this report.