Carney silent on whether he saw Ontario’s anti-tariff ad before it aired as trade tensions with U.S. escalate

Prime Minister Mark Carney is refusing to say whether he or his senior staff reviewed an Ontario government anti-tariff television ad before it aired in the United States — a campaign that has since derailed trade talks with Washington and angered U.S. President Donald Trump.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said Tuesday there would be “no further comment” on the matter, which has cast a shadow over Carney’s trip through Asia following the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur.

Speaking on background, a senior federal official said the Ontario government alone was responsible for the ad campaign, despite Carney’s insistence that Ottawa leads all negotiations with Washington.

“This decision was made by the government of Ontario, and the federal government was not involved in the production or distribution of this ad,” the official said.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, however, contradicted that account on Monday, saying both Carney and his chief of staff had reviewed the ad before it was released.

“He saw the ad before I put it out and so did his chief of staff,” Ford told reporters at Queen’s Park. “They both saw it and we moved forward on it.”

Ford defended the spot — which selectively quoted former U.S. president Ronald Reagan to criticize American tariffs — saying it accomplished its goal of raising awareness among U.S. voters.

“Mission accomplished,” Ford said. “They’re talking about it in the U.S., and they weren’t before we did it.”

Trump abruptly ended sectoral trade negotiations with Canada last week, citing the ad as an insult to his administration. When asked Monday at the close of the ASEAN summit whether the cancellation stemmed directly from the ad or from deeper tensions, Carney replied:

“I would suggest you take the president at his word for his reasons.”

Carney emphasized that Ottawa remains solely responsible for managing relations with Washington.

“It is the responsibility of the Government of Canada to have these negotiations,” he said. “Others will have opinions — and we welcome free advice — but this is entirely appropriate. Every Canadian is a stakeholder in these negotiations.”

Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route from Malaysia to Tokyo, accused Canada of interfering in U.S. domestic affairs, claiming the Ontario ad was timed to influence an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case over presidential tariff powers.

He said he plans to impose an additional 10% tariff on Canadian imports, though he did not specify when it would take effect.

“They shouldn’t have done it. And they’ve apologized,” Trump said, without clarifying who had offered the apology.

Carney later told reporters he has not spoken directly with Trump since the breakdown in negotiations, though he did not confirm whether they had exchanged messages.

On Tuesday, the prime minister toured the Port of Singapore, one of the world’s busiest shipping hubs, and met with the CEO of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation, which manages more than $1.1 trillion (U.S.) in global assets.

Despite the controversy, Canadian officials said Carney’s meetings in Singapore were focused on trade diversification and investment cooperation — even as tensions with Washington continue to overshadow Ottawa’s broader economic agenda.