President Trump's reflexive labeling of unfavorable evidence as "fake" and "fraudulent" reveals a consistent pattern of deflection, evident in two high-profile 2025 controversies. In October, Ontario's government aired a television advertisement featuring edited audio from Ronald Reagan's 1987 radio address, where the former president warned against broad tariffs, citing risks of retaliation, higher consumer prices, and economic harm reminiscent of the Smoot-Hawley Act. Trump swiftly denounced the ad as "fake" and "fraudulent," terminating trade negotiations with Canada and imposing an additional 10% tariff on Canadian goods, framing it as a "hostile act." Fact-checks confirmed Reagan's words were authentic—though selectively reordered—and aligned with his free-trade legacy, including his role in the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement precursor.
This response echoed Trump's dismissal of a sexually suggestive birthday note allegedly sent to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003, part of a scrapbook released by House Democrats in September 2025 from Epstein's estate. The note, featuring lewd imagery and a purported Trump signature alluding to a "wonderful secret," was reported earlier by the Wall Street Journal. Trump immediately called it "fake" and "fraudulent," denying authorship and suing media outlets for defamation. In both cases, the identical phrasing—"fake" and "fraudulent"—served to sidestep substantive engagement, whether Reagan's historical anti-protectionism or questions about past associations.
Reagan's 1987 warning stemmed from deep conviction in free markets, influenced by economists like Milton Friedman and lessons from the Great Depression. He selectively used targeted measures but opposed widespread tariffs, viewing them as taxes on Americans that invited trade wars. Trump's aggressive protectionism—escalating duties on allies like Canada—contrasts sharply, prioritizing leverage on non-trade issues like border security while risking integrated supply chains in autos and energy.
Treating Canada as a "punching bag" in this trade dispute offers tactical gains but signals strategic weakness to adversaries like Russia and China. It demonstrates that the U.S. will coerce even closest allies, eroding trust essential for intelligence sharing, NATO coordination, and joint deterrence. Over time, this compounds quietly: allied coordination degrades, middle powers hedge by diversifying partnerships toward the EU or others, and Western unity fragments.
The "fake and fraudulent" refrain underscores Trump's narrative control tactic, framing critics as deceitful to rally supporters and avoid accountability. In the Ontario case, it justified retaliation against a neighbor quoting a Republican icon; in the Epstein matter, it deflected scrutiny of personal ties. This approach conditions discourse around loyalty over evidence, weakening institutional trust.
Reagan's free-trade vision fostered prosperity through alliances, including with Canada. Trump's path risks retaliation cycles Reagan decried, inflating costs for Americans and isolating the U.S. geopolitically. Using Canada harshly may yield short-term pressure but invites long-term repercussions: economic disruption, diplomatic strain, and diminished global leadership.
Ultimately, these episodes highlight how cries of "fake" and "fraudulent" shield a protectionist agenda from historical Republican precedents. Reagan warned that high tariffs harm workers and provoke escalation; aggressive unilateralism toward allies accelerates trust erosion, potentially emboldening rivals while fracturing coalitions built on mutual reliance.
The pattern teaches that deflection via "fake" claims prioritizes confrontation over negotiation, echoing broader confrontational style. Yet history, as Reagan articulated, favors openness with partners—cooperation drives growth, while isolation carries hidden, compounding costs. Revisiting his caution offers a path away from retaliatory spirals that diminish America's strength.