Podcast Episode Summary: "Canada Dunked on Trump. Politely"

Podcast: Bulwark Takes
Host: The Bulwark (JVL and Tim Miller)
Date: October 25, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode delves into a recent diplomatic dust-up caused by an ad from the Ontario government, which used archival audio from President Ronald Reagan to criticize protectionist trade policies—policies associated with former President Donald Trump. The hosts, JVL and Tim Miller, explore the American response—particularly from Trump, the Reagan Foundation, and conservative circles—and discuss the ideological and cultural signals at play. The conversation also raises questions about legacy, political opportunism, and the shifting meaning of "Reaganism" in today's GOP.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: The Ontario Ad and the Fallout

• Recap of the Ad: Ontario's government ran a TV ad during a baseball game, using Ronald Reagan's audio denouncing tariffs and protectionist policies, implying criticism toward Trump’s trade approach.

  • Reagan quote in ad (01:00-01:58):

    "High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars. Then the worst happens. Markets shrink and collapse [...] the way to prosperity for all nations is rejecting protectionist legislation and promoting fair and free competition." — Ronald Reagan

• Trump’s Reaction:

  • "The President of the United States cut off all trade negotiations with Canada as a result. He didn't like this." (01:58)
  • The hosts note the overreaction, especially since the ad was from the Ontario government, not the federal Canadian government.
  • Tim speculates Trump may not know the difference between Ontario and Ottawa, or simply doesn't care for such specifics.
    • "Ontario kind of sounds like Ottawa, you know...maybe it was actually Canada. I don't think...he probably didn't take the time to really concern himself with the particulars." — Tim Miller [02:26]

2. The Reagan Foundation’s Legal Threat

• Foundation Pushback:

  • The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation issued a statement condemning the use of Reagan's audio, claiming it was "selective" and "misrepresented" (03:00-03:44).
  • The hosts note the loaded language ("selective and misrepresented") and question what exactly was misrepresented.
    • "I read that statement...and I'm still trying to figure out what was the misrepresentation, exactly." — Tim Miller [03:44]

• Implications for Media and Political Ads:

  • The Reagan Foundation's logic implies you cannot excerpt public political statements for ads or editorial use, drawing a tongue-in-cheek comparison to the Trump-era demands that "60 Minutes" air full, unedited interviews if Trump dislikes the edit.
    • "The new standard in the Trump administration now is: I guess, if you're going to use audio or video of something that a politician said, you mustn't use the entirety of that video, or else you might be liable to lawsuit. In particular, if the video is something that Donald Trump doesn't like." — Tim Miller [04:19]

3. The Intra-Conservative Tensions on Reagan’s Legacy

• Reagan vs. Trumpism:

  • The hosts point out the oddity that the Reagan Foundation appears to be protecting Reagan's image in a way that aligns with Trump's preferences, despite Reagan's clear stance against tariffs.
    • "The way to protect Reagan’s legacy is to somehow represent as if Reagan would agree with Trump today." — JVL [06:25]

• Trump's Selective Respect for Reagan:

  • Trump’s hostility toward most recent presidents contrasts with his deference to Reagan, an outlier noted by the hosts.
    • "Ronald Reagan seems to be the only US President that Trump is not comfortable saying is a sucker and a loser." — JVL [07:00]
  • They discuss whether this is unique to Reagan or if Kennedy enjoys some similar immunity.

• The MAGA Movement’s Ideological Dissonance:

  • JVL highlights the contradiction: Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, and MAGA’s broader project are actively anti-Reaganite, pushing "state nationalism" over free-market ideology.

    "His running mate, J.D. Vance, is a critic of zombie Reaganism. The entire idea of MAGA is that we've got to get over it, it's stupid and it's wrong, and we gotta do something different...it doesn't add up." — JVL [07:40]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Reagan Foundation’s statement:

  • "There's a couple words in there that caught my ear: selective and misrepresented...what was the misrepresentation, exactly?" — Tim Miller [03:44]

• On the media implications:

  • "The new standard in the Trump administration...you must use the entirety of that video unless you're liable to lawsuit—in particular, if the video is something that Donald Trump doesn't like or he thinks hurts him." — Tim Miller [04:19]

• On Trump's unique deference to Reagan:

  • "Ronald Reagan seems to be the only US President that Trump is not comfortable saying is a sucker and a loser." — JVL [07:00]

• On the broader ideological tangle:

  • "His running mate, J.D. Vance, is a critic of zombie Reaganism. Right. Like there's a whole move...the entire idea of MAGA is that this zombie Reaganism, we gotta get over it..." — JVL [07:40]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:30 — Introduction and ad context
• 00:57-01:58 — Ontario’s ad playing Reagan's anti-tariff remarks
• 01:58-02:42 — Trump reacts, host analysis of the diplomatic overreaction
• 02:42-05:41 — Reagan Foundation's statement and hosts' parsing of "misrepresentation"
• 05:43-06:26 — Discussion of the logic and ideological positioning of the Reagan Foundation
• 06:26-08:17 — Triangulating Trump, Reagan, and MAGA: ideological and rhetorical tensions

Tone & Takeaways

• The episode is sharp, bemused, and laced with a dry sense of irony. The hosts riff on both the legal absurdity and the symbolism of the episode—pointing to deeper identity struggles within modern American conservatism.
• Instead of a coherent ideological defense, they discern opportunism, confusion, and culture-war reflexes dominating each actor's response.

Summary for the Uninitiated:
If you missed this episode, you’ll walk away understanding how a 1980s Reagan speech unexpectedly reignited American-Canadian tensions in 2025, exposed fissures in Republican identity, and prompted a surreal series of reactions from Trump and the Reagan Foundation—each more revealing in their confusion than in any substantive argument over tariffs.