Trump warns Ontario for airing anti-tariff commercial during World Series: 'I can play dirtier than they can'

The World Series was caught in the middle of the trade dispute between Washington and Ottawa. Donald Trump on Friday night accused the Ontario government of "dirty play" because even though it pledged to eliminate the TV commercial over which trade negotiations were suspended, it will do so only after the first two games of the series.

Negotiations have been suspended since Thursday because of a commercial that the White House said made "fraudulent" use of Ronald Reagan. The alarm bell first came from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, which claimed the former president's words had been twisted to make him appear to be condemning the imposition of tariffs.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was powerless in the face of the suspension: "We recognize we can't control the trade policy of the United States." At the same time, he assured that he maintained a "posture open to dialogue" for when the Trump administration changed its mind.

Who did take action was Ontario Governor Doug Ford, whose team published the controversial campaign. While he claimed Friday to have ordered the video's airing to be stopped "so that trade talks can resume," he also explicitly acknowledged that it would continue to be shown throughout the weekend so that it would appear during the World Series.

"Our intention was always to initiate a conversation about the kind of economy that Americans want to build and the impact of tariffs on workers and businesses. We've achieved our goal, having reached U.S. audiences at the highest levels. I've directed my team to keep putting our message in front of Americans over the weekend so that we can air our commercial during the first two World Series games," he said.

Asked about Ford's move, Trump claimed it was "dirty play." "They could have pulled it tonight," he asserted Friday before boarding Marine One to kick off his Asian tour. The two-day delay, with two MLB playoff games in between, is "dirty play," he said. "But I can play dirtier than they can, you know," he added.

The World Series has the peculiarity of pitting a Canadian team against a U.S. team, attracting audiences on both sides of the border. The Blue Jays and the Dodgers will play to be the MLB champion in a best-of-seven series.

Accusations of judicial and electoral interference

The president not only accused the authors of the campaign of forging a 1987 Reagan speech, but also of attempting to "illegally influence the United States Supreme Court." The highest court in the land has a case on the legality of the tariffs imposed by Trump on its hands, the first hearing of which will be on Nov. 5.

The GOP also accused the governor of Ontario of electoral interference. One of the main voices behind the accusation is Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino:

"Make no mistake about it—Canada is openly interfering in U.S. Elections by targeting Republican Districts. Could you imagine if roles were reversed, and President Trump ran ads in Canada" he wrote on X along with a video of Ford saying the campaign would be repeated in "every Republican district there is right across the entire country."

Doug Ford doubles down?

Gov. Ford, a frequent Trump critic, released a video amid the controversy alongside California Gov. Gavin Newsom, one of the leading figures in the opposition to the Republican in the Democratic Party.

In a back and forth in which the mandarins make a "friendly wager" on the World Series, Ford throws a couple of nods against Trump.

The Canadian politician assures Newsom that should his team triumph he will send him "Ontario's finest Maple syrup," "the tariff might cost me a few extra bucks at the border these days, but it will be worth it for a Jays win!"

Then, when the Democratic leader asks him to distribute a California wine to Ontario businesses, he replies, "I don't think so buddy, talk to your friend in the Oval Office."

Finally, in an even less subtle closing, the two say in unison, "Here's to a great World Series and a tariff-free friendship between Ontario and California."