Ford Folds: Ontario Cowers to Trump, Pulls $75 Million Reagan Ad
Taxpayers Pay the Price for Premier’s Political Stunt Gone Wrong
By TWATNews Editorial Board – October 26, 2025
What began as a bold stand against U.S. tariffs has ended as a humiliating climb-down for Ontario’s Doug Ford — a premier who spent $75 million of taxpayer money on a campaign that collapsed the moment Donald Trump threw one of his trademark tantrums.
The now-infamous “Reagan Ad,” which used a 1987 speech by President Ronald Reagan to condemn trade barriers, was supposed to showcase Ontario as a champion of free markets and cross-border cooperation. Instead, it showcased Ford’s staggering lack of foresight, accountability, and political backbone.
A Pricey Lesson in Political Vanity
Sources inside Queen’s Park confirm that the Ford government poured $75 million into the ad blitz — an unprecedented expenditure for what amounted to a provincial PR stunt. The money covered media buys during U.S. prime-time events, creative production, and lobbyist-driven placement in markets where the message had no measurable impact.
The real result? Ontario taxpayers are now footing the bill for a vanity project that alienated Canada’s largest trading partner and made the province a punchline in international media.
When Trump barked, Ford bowed. Within 24 hours of the former president’s outburst, Ford’s office announced the ad would be “paused” to allow trade talks to resume — a diplomatic euphemism for total surrender.
A Premier Without a Plan
Ford defended the decision by claiming “the objective of the campaign had been achieved.” That statement is as hollow as it is insulting. If the objective was to waste tens of millions and embarrass Ontario on the global stage, then mission accomplished.
The truth is simpler: Ford overplayed his hand. He believed a Reagan-themed message would score easy points with American conservatives. Instead, he provoked the wrath of the most thin-skinned political figure alive and left Canada’s trade negotiations in tatters.
Who Approved the $75 Million Boondoggle?
While Ford’s ministers scramble to spin the fiasco as a “communication success,” opposition leaders are demanding a full accounting of how and why $75 million in public funds were diverted to an unvetted ad campaign targeting another nation’s electorate.
Insiders say the push came directly from the Premier’s Office, bypassing standard oversight processes. Even more troubling, multiple Ontario media agencies refused to participate in the project — citing ethical concerns about the campaign’s foreign political implications — forcing Ford’s team to use U.S. consultants instead.
Meanwhile, Back in Ontario…
While Ford was spending millions lecturing Americans on free trade, Ontario residents continue to struggle with rising rents, collapsing healthcare services, and record food-bank usage. Small businesses that Ford claimed to champion are closing daily, battered by inflation and the very tariffs his $75 million ad failed to influence.
It’s a tragic irony: Ford spent millions pretending to fight for the working class — and ended up making life harder for them.
A Government Without Courage
Caving to Trump’s pressure proves that Ontario’s government doesn’t lead — it reacts. When confronted by bluster from Washington, Ford’s swagger evaporated faster than Ontario’s advertising dollars.
Doug Ford didn’t stand up for Ontario. He folded like cheap lawn furniture.
TWATNews.com
Because someone has to call them out.