Trump whispers his secret to reporters

Written by

Ophelia Benson

in

Daniel Dale at the Toronto Star reports Trump’s latest Brilliant Move:

High-stakes trade negotiations between Canada and the U.S. were dramatically upended on Friday morning after inflammatory secret remarks by President Donald Trump were obtained by the Toronto Star.

In comments Trump wanted to be “off the record,” the U.S. president told Bloomberg News reporters on Thursday that he is not making any compromises at all in the talks with Canada — but that he cannot say this publicly because “it’s going to be so insulting they’re not going to be able to make a deal.”

He cannot say it publicly but he can say it to reporters. Very sensible.

“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,” Trump said of the Canadian government.

In another remark he did not want published, Trump said 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. The Impala is produced at the General Motors plant in Oshawa, Ontario.

Such a sober, wise, careful administrator.

Today he helpfully confirmed that he said it.

Comments

4 responses to “Trump whispers his secret to reporters”

  1. iknklast Avatar
    iknklast

    How is it dishonest to report what he actually said? Isn’t it more dishonest to say, I’m going to do this to Canada, but I’m not going to tell them, and I don’t want you to either? To pretend to negotiate in good faith?

    And I don’t think Canada’s as stupid as he thinks it is (actually, the country itself probably has few thoughts, but Canadians do seem to be on to Trump, and they’re probably not any happier with the rise of the violent neo-Nazis than most of us here).

  2. Dave Ricks Avatar
    Dave Ricks

    From the Toronto Star:

    Trump, of course, is known for both dishonesty and for bragging about his own greatness, and he regularly makes dubious claims about how he is supposedly dominating the feeble people on the other side of the bargaining table. When he claimed to have made no compromises, it is possible he was making a false claim to impress the Bloomberg journalists.

    Why can’t our press report facts like that? Probably “journalistic balance” or something.

  3. Dave Ricks Avatar
    Dave Ricks

    BTW, since I copied and pasted the text above a few minutes ago, the Star just tweaked the words I’ve emphazed below. Their two edits add nice color.

    Trump, of course, is known for both dishonesty and for bragging about his own greatness, and he regularly utters dubious boasts about how he is supposedly dominating the feeble people on the other side of the bargaining table. When he claimed to have made no compromises, it is possible he was making a false claim to impress the Bloomberg journalists.

  4. Ophelia Benson Avatar
    Ophelia Benson

    Ah that’s a good tweak.

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