“I apologized to President Donald Trump. He was offended,” Prime Minister Carney said today while attending the APEC summit in South Korea, adding that the apology was made during a dinner hosted by South Korean President on October 29.
The statement came after President Trump revealed that the Canadian leader had sent an apology over Ontario’s controversial ad.
Carney confirmed that he had seen the ad before it aired and had opposed its use. “This was not something I wanted to do. As Prime Minister, I’m responsible for the relationship with the U.S. President. So when things happen, we take both the good and the bad. I am very sorry,” he said.
Prime Minister Carney also expressed his hope that the U.S. would resume trade talks with Canada “as soon as Washington is ready.” Despite the apology, Trump said he would not restore negotiations with Canada.
The ad, aired by the Ontario provincial government, featured former U.S. President Ronald Reagan saying tariffs “hurt every American.” Trump called the ad “fake,” but observers noted it wasn’t fabricated — the clip was edited from Reagan’s April 25, 1987 national radio address, where he strongly opposed tariffs and promoted free, fair trade.
The Ronald Reagan Foundation & Institute later announced that Ontario authorities did not seek permission to use or edit Reagan’s speech and said they are considering legal action while urging the public to watch the unedited version.
Following Trump’s decision to halt talks, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he had spoken with Carney and suspended the ad campaign in the U.S. as of October 27 to reopen bilateral discussions. However, Trump remained displeased and decided to raise tariffs on Canadian goods by an additional 10%.
🇨🇦 One diplomatic apology, one trade dispute — another crack in the long-standing U.S.-Canada relationship.