Claim: Trump says Ronald Reagan “loved tariffs for our country and its national security,” pushing back on a Canadian ad that stitched together Reagan’s 1987 anti-protectionism lines.
Verdict: Mostly True. Reagan imposed extensive tariffs despite free-trade rhetoric, though “loved” may exaggerate his enthusiasm. His actions were often protectionist while his language rarely was.
The controversy began when Ontario released an ad intended to air on U.S. television featuring Ronald Reagan’s voice warning against protectionism—a speech he delivered the same week he imposed tariffs on Japanese semiconductors. The ad used excerpts from Reagan’s April 1987 radio address declaring that “trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer” and that “markets shrink and collapse” when countries turn protectionist. The clips were genuine but rearranged, omitting that Reagan had delivered the remarks in connection with ordering new duties on Japan.
Trump denounced the
Continue Reading on Breitbart
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.