The Wall Street Journal's conservative editorial board bashed President Donald Trump's latest "tantrum" against Canada in a new editorial published on Sunday.
Trump raged at the Canadian government on Truth Social on Saturday over a commercial featuring former President Ronald Reagan arguing against the use of tariffs as an economic policy. Trump has sought to make tariffs the centerpiece of his economic agenda, not an exception, the editorial notes.
Trump accused the Canadian government of trying to influence a case before the Supreme Court regarding the legality of his tariffs. He also ended trade talks with Canada because of the ad.
"The sole purpose of this FRAUD was Canada’s hope that the United States Supreme Court will come to their 'rescue' on Tariffs that they have used for years to hurt the United States," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Now the United States is able to defend itself against high and overbearing Canadian Tariffs (and those from the rest of the World as well!)"
The Wall Street Journal's editorial board responded on Sunday.
"The MAGA crowd likes to dismiss Ronald Reagan as irrelevant today, but apparently he still matters to President Trump," the editorial reads in part. "How else to explain Mr. Trump’s tantrum against Canada after the province of Ontario invoked the Gipper on trade in a television ad?"
"Mr. Trump has been fortunate that his tariffs haven’t triggered much retaliation, which has spared us from a global trade war," it adds. "But the tariffs are doing economic damage by raising costs for consumers and businesses and by dampening animal spirits that should be soaring with his tax bill and deregulation. He can boast about tariffs all he wants, but he shouldn’t get away with taking Reagan’s trade beliefs in vain."
