The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute has recently issued a statement addressing an advertisement by Ontario that features audio and video clips of former President Ronald Reagan. In response, the Reagan Legacy Foundation accused Ontario of distorting Reagan’s legacy. They alleged that Ontario employed “selective audio and video” to mischaracterize his position on tariffs and trade wars. This latest turn in the fast track debate points to a significant gap between the now-late president’s vision and today’s political discourse on trade.
The spot ran in the first few of the World Series games. It focused primarily on praising Reagan’s voice and credited its material to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. The misdirection of that ad’s message, the foundation argues, is a reimagining of Reagan’s purpose. Ontario’s appropriation of Reagan’s April 1987 address is one of the worst examples of distorting a politician’s message on tariffs. His conception of the role stands in stark contrast to many of today’s policymakers, most notably former President Donald Trump.
The difference between Reagan’s free market orientation and Trump’s pro-tariff position has already been noted with shock and horror. Recall that Trump called tariffs beautiful and repeatedly asserted that trade wars are blest and easy to win. By contrast, Reagan was more apologetic about the issue. He cautioned against the all-too-tempting protectionist measures that would do serious damage to economic growth and international relations.
The foundation’s statement effectively distances itself from Reagan’s words as used in the Ontario ad. Understanding this context helps to mischaracterize what Reagan actually believed. His long and very public comments on the inefficiency of tariffs and the benefits of free trade as president certainly testify to his real views.
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library recently posted this 1987 address clip to Youtube. Now, as a colleague points out, it’s the wild west of public access. This change provides readers a chance to see and understand Reagan’s true words for themselves. The foundation worries that the ad gets Reagan’s words on point but misses the mark on what he really meant when it comes to tariffs. His view was more sophisticated and came from an undergirding economic philosophy that was pro free trade.
The foundation has already signaled that it plans to take a hard look at its legal options based on its claim of misrepresentation. They argue that Ontario’s selective use of audio and video clips undermines the integrity of Reagan’s legacy as a proponent of free trade and economic cooperation.
