How Donald Trump is trying to silence a saint

Just a few days ago, millions of Americans protested against the increasingly high-handed behavior of their president. They chanted “No Kings” at the largest rallies in decades. And it is Donald Trump himself who is now providing proof that the criticism of his authoritarianism is not completely out of thin air: On his platform Truth Social, he complained that Canada would broadcast a Ronald Reagan commercial about punitive tariffs, even though he had called for their removal.

“I didn’t know her the clip let it run a little longer. They would have him tonight,” Trump said. “It’s a dirty game. But I can play even dirtier than them.“ No sooner said than done: The US President announced additional tariffs of ten percent against his neighbor as punishment for disobedience. Because a foreign country is broadcasting a commercial that is indirectly critical of Trump.

The kick-off spot is one minute long and shows Reagan’s everyday life, family and job scenes in a warm cinematic voice. The former president, who became known as an actor in the 1950s and 1960s, can be seen in the clip giving his televised address – dressed in a green and black lumberjack shirt. The quotes used also come from this speech from 1987 – a warning about the harmfulness of punitive tariffs.

Although Reagan’s speech is original, albeit heavily abridged, the current president rages at what he claims is a “serious misrepresentation of the facts and one of their hostile acts.” However, Trump does not reveal what exactly is wrong with his predecessor’s words.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute, which manages the legacy of the late head of state, also complains, but not in substance. It criticizes the lack of approval for the quotes in the advertising clip and that the makers of the video “selectively used” the statements.

Ronald Reagan’s TV language about Punitive tariffs from 1987:

That and the 38-year-old, five-minute original speech were compared. And lo and behold, the analysis of the trade dispute with Japan, which is unusually in-depth for a TV speech, pretty much accurately reflects the situation in 2025 in both versions.

The variant that angers the incumbent US president reads like this in the transcript:

“When someone says, ‘We should put tariffs on foreign imports,’ it looks like they’re doing something patriotic by protecting American products and jobs. And sometimes that works for a short time – but only for a short time.

In the long term, however, such trade barriers harm all American workers and consumers. High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation from other countries and trigger violent trade wars.

Then the worst happens: markets shrink and collapse, companies and industries close, and millions of people lose their jobs.

There is growing recognition around the world that the path to prosperity for all nations lies in rejecting protectionist laws and promoting fair and free competition.

America’s jobs and growth are at stake.”

Ronald Reagan is a national saint for conservative and right-wing Americans. Actually. But his economic liberalism does not fit with the protectionism that Trump and his supporters hope will have a miraculous effect on their economy. And so it is that Donald Trump is now trying to censor the Republican from whom he borrowed the slogan “Make America Great Again” abroad.