Why Ontario Premier Doug Ford thought it was a good idea to “poke the bear” by running an ad highlighting President Ronald Reagan’s well-known defense of free trade is a mystery. President Trump does not take criticism well. Unless and until the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down his knee-jerk approach to tariff policies, any demonstration of how far Trump has strayed from free market economics is only going to result in retaliation.

The difference between Reagan’s and Trump’s views on trade can be summed up this way: In Reagan’s free market world, tariffs are the rare exception to the rule. In Trump’s world, tariffs are the rule.

The kerfuffle began when Ontario ran a one-minute ad, which took audio from a five-minute Reagan radio address delivered in 1987, in which the former president explained his support for free trade but felt compelled to impose tariffs on a few Japanese products.

“Last week I placed new duties on some Japanese products in response to Japan’s inability to enforce their trade agreement with us on electronic devices called semiconductors.” Reagan then adds, “Now, imposing such trade barriers or restrictions of any kind are steps that I am loath to take,” because, he says, “trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer.”

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute

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