Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced he will pause his controversial advertising campaign in the United States that features a clip of former President Ronald Reagan discussing the dangers of tariffs. This decision follows a conversation with Prime Minister Mark Carney and comes after the ad drew ire from U.S. President Donald Trump, who halted trade talks with Canada in response.

Ford stated that the ad will continue to air during the first two games of the World Series before being paused on Monday. Initially, Ford's office indicated they would not back down from the campaign, but a statement released on Friday clarified the decision to pause the ads. “Our intention was always to initiate a conversation about the kind of economy that Americans want to build and the impact of tariffs on workers and businesses,” Ford said. “We’ve achieved our goal, having reached U.S. audiences at the highest levels.”

The ad, which reportedly cost $75 million, features Reagan's remarks warning against protectionism. Ford emphasized the importance of keeping the message in front of American viewers, stating, “I’ve directed my team to keep putting our message in front of Americans over the weekend.”

Trump criticized the ad, claiming it was an attempt to influence the U.S. Supreme Court regarding tariffs. He described the campaign as “fraudulent” and accused Canada of trying to interfere with U.S. legal proceedings. In a post on social media, Trump declared, “Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement,” and announced that all trade negotiations with Canada were terminated due to the ad's content.

Carney responded to Trump's comments, noting that Canada must diversify its trading partners and be prepared to resume negotiations when the U.S. is ready. He remarked, “We can’t control the trade policy of the United States,” and highlighted the ongoing discussions between Canadian and American officials on specific sectors such as steel and aluminum.

The ad campaign has faced criticism from Ford's political opponents. Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles argued that the premier should focus on local job losses rather than seeking attention from Trump. She stated, “The best he can say to the plant workers that are losing their jobs right now is ‘don't worry, we'll train you for new jobs.’”

In contrast, some leaders, including Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, expressed support for Ford's campaign, stating, “It’s clear that these ads are working.” The Ontario Chamber of Commerce also backed Ford, asserting that Americans deserve to know the truth about tariffs, which they labeled as “an act of massive self-harm.”

As the situation develops, Ford's government plans to pause the ad campaign to facilitate the resumption of trade talks, which have been stalled amid rising tensions between the two countries. The premier's office has not yet provided further details on the timeline for resuming the ads or the status of trade negotiations with the U.S.