Trump Insults Canada And Blows Up US Trade Talks

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Last updated on September 26th, 2018 at 04:29 am

Someone, possibly from within the White House, leaked Trump insulting Canada, which has thrown a curve to trade talks that are facing a Friday deadline for completion.

The Toronto Star printed some off the record remarks that Trump made during his interview with Bloomberg:

“Here’s the problem. If I say no — the answer’s no. If I say no, then you’re going to put that, and it’s going to be so insulting they’re not going to be able to make a deal … I can’t kill these people,” he said of the Canadian government.

In another remark he did not want published, Trump said, according to the source, that the possible deal with Canada would be “totally on our terms.” He suggested he was scaring the Canadians into submission by repeatedly threatening to impose tariffs.

“Off the record, Canada’s working their ass off. And every time we have a problem with a point, I just put up a picture of a Chevrolet Impala,” Trump said, according to the source. The Impala is produced at the General Motors plant in Oshawa, Ontario.

Trump’s Own White House May Have Leaked His Insult To Canada

Trump and Bloomberg were the only parties in the room. Bloomberg honored Trump‘s request for his remarks to be off the record, but someone who was in the room with Trump leaked those remarks to the Toronto Star. Since the Star did not do the original interview, they are not bound by Trump‘s off the record request.

If Bloomberg didn’t leak, and no credible news organization would break an off the record agreement, then the leak had to come from inside the White House.

Trump has been lying to Canada about his position

Trump’s comments reveal that his administration has not been negotiating in good faith. Trump has no plan to compromise on a deal with the Canadians. He has been lying to our ally and good neighbor to the north and sending the message to the rest of the world that they can’t trust the United States because Trump‘s word is worthless.

Canada is not amused

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in response to Trump‘s comments, “We’re going to remain constructive, positive, serious and creative about what we do around the negotiating table, in what we do in relation with the United States. But we are also going to be unequivocal about always standing up for Canadians’ rights and Canadians’ interests.”

Trump can’t stop lying and insulting others, and the result may be that the trade “deal” that he hyped earlier this week may end up blowing up in his face by midnight.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

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Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

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Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association

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