The issue of whether the prime minister and his chief of staff were aware of and approved an anti-tariff advertisement by the Ontario government that sparked a reaction from U.S. President Donald Trump followed Mark Carney to Singapore on Tuesday. The Prime Minister’s Office declined to provide further details on the TV ad, which resulted in the breakdown of trade negotiations with the United States last week.
A senior federal official, speaking anonymously, continued to attribute the ad campaign to the Ontario government, despite the prime minister’s statement that Ottawa is leading the negotiations. The official stated, “The decision to run this ad was made by the Ontario government, and the federal government was not involved in its creation or distribution.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford defended the advertisement, mentioning that both the prime minister and his senior advisers had seen it before its release. Ford emphasized that the ad successfully raised awareness about the impact of tariffs in the U.S., stating, “Mission accomplished. It generated discussions in the U.S. that were not happening before.”
When asked about Trump’s decision to cancel trade talks due to the ad, Carney suggested taking the president’s words at face value. Carney reiterated that the Canadian government is responsible for the negotiations with the United States and welcomed input from various sources.
Trump placed blame on Carney, stating that the prime minister and others were aware of the ad. Trump accused Canada of meddling in U.S. legal matters and hinted at increasing tariffs on Canadian imports by an additional 10%, without specifying a timeline. He claimed that Canada had apologized for the ad campaign.
Carney clarified that he had not spoken to Trump since the trade talks fell through and focused on his activities in Singapore, including a visit to the Port of Singapore and a meeting with the CEO of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation, a prominent sovereign wealth fund managing over $1.1 trillion US in assets worldwide.
