Reagan Would’ve Hated Trump’s Tariff Tantrum In my view, last night wasn’t about trade—it was about truth. 🇺🇸 Ronald Reagan spent his presidency preaching the gospel of free trade. Yes, he once imposed limited restrictions on Japan in the 1980s, but even then, he said plainly that tariffs hurt American consumers and distort markets. The Ontario ad that used his words wasn’t fake—it echoed Reagan’s real beliefs. The problem is that it embarrassed Donald Trump, whose economic worldview depends o