The Art of the Squeal

Wow, I made OFF THE RECORD COMMENTS to Bloomberg concerning Canada, and this powerful understanding was BLATANTLY VIOLATED. Oh well, just more dishonest reporting. I am used to it. At least Canada knows where I stand!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 31, 2018

Pay close attention, because this gets interesting fast.

First, Trump isn't denying the comments, even as he calls their reporting "dishonest."  Indeed:  "At least Canada knows where I stand!"  Which is the problem, you see:

Trump made the remarks in an Oval Office interview with Bloomberg. He deemed them off the record, and Bloomberg accepted his request not to reveal them.

But the Star is not bound by any promises Bloomberg made to Trump. And the remarks immediately became a factor in the negotiations: Trudeau’s officials, who saw them as evidence for their previous suspicions that Trump’s team had not been bargaining in good faith, raised them at the beginning of a meeting with their U.S. counterparts on Friday morning, a U.S. source confirmed.

The Star was not able to independently confirm the remarks with 100 per cent certainty, but the Canadian government is confident they are accurate.

So, what did Trump tell Bloomberg?  And who told the Toronto Star?  Not Bloomberg:

In remarks Trump wanted to be “off the record,” Trump told Bloomberg News reporters on Thursday, according to a source, 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.”

“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. 

Of course, Canada is negotiating in good faith, and they understand if they don't have something that can go to Congress today, there is no renegotiation, and in the meantime, NAFTA as it stands remains the law of the land.  And if Trump imposes tariffs on Chevy Impalas, who does that hurt besides GM?  People who want to buy Chevy Impalas, I suppose.  Or maybe people who make parts to build Chevy Impalas:

Asked if the cost of no deals was tariffs on cars, Dias admitted that “a 25% tariff would be devastating” for Canada’s auto workers but would be equally bad for American workers as well.

“U.S. workers will suffer massively.” he warned. “Why? Because 60% of all parts that go into Canadian assembled vehicles come from the United States. The number one export market for vehicles from the United States is Canada. Why Donald Trump would shoot himself in the foot and more importantly American workers doesn’t make any sense.”

This is the genius deal-maker?  He walks away with nothing, hurts American workers, and declares that a victory?  Huh?

Addendum:  it's known Trump used to do his own PR, calling reporters and pretending to be someone else giving information about Trump's exploits and accomplishments, real or imagined.  So it isn't that far-fetched that he could be the source to the Toronto Star:

Jen Psaki, former White House Communications Director under Barack Obama, said that leaks rarely happened under her position.

“It’s important to note I worked with the Bloomberg reporters for eight years in the White House, and never once did they violate anything I said off the record or anything President Barack Obama said off the record,” Psaki said.

She added, “There is no way it comes from them, and that’s what they are accused of. There is a question as to whether it was somebody [else.] The transcripts typically go around broadly. Even whether Trump himself in bizarro-land [did it.] That’s possible.”

Trump, or somebody calling at his direction, seems perfectly plausible as the source that allows Trump to send out his tweet.  Because, really, what was going to be accomplished today that could get to Congress by today?  Why not blow it up and blame the press for the calamity?  I mean, it will play well at the next rally (just not necessarily in Texas, which benefits mightily from NAFTA, so I wouldn't advise him to bring it up at the Cruz rally he says he's coming to.  Then again, maybe he should!)