Trump boasts making up trade claim

WASHINGTON: Donald Trump boasted he made things up in a conversation with Canada’s prime minister, insisting the US ran a trade deficit with its neighbour despite having “no idea” if the claim were true, the Washington Post reported.

The US president recalled the exchange with Justin Trudeau in a fundraising speech in Missouri, of which the paper said it had obtained an audio recording.

“Trudeau came to see me. He’s a good guy, Justin. He said, ‘No, no, we have no trade deficit with you, we have none. Donald, please’,” Trump said, imitating Trudeau, the Post said.

“Nice guy, good-looking guy, comes in – ‘Donald, we have no trade deficit.’ He’s very proud because everybody else, you know, we’re getting killed.

“So, he’s proud. I said, ‘Wrong, Justin, you do.’ I didn’t even know. I had no idea. I just said, ‘You’re wrong’.”

Trump added: “You know why? Because we’re so stupid. And I thought they were smart. I said, ‘You’re wrong, Justin.’ He said, ‘Nope, we have no trade deficit.’ I said, ‘Well, in that case, I feel differently,’ I said, ‘but I don’t believe it.’ I sent one of our guys out, his guy, my guy, they went out, I said, ‘Check, because I can’t believe it’.”

According to the US trade representative, the US runs a trade surplus with Canada.

Trudeau met with Trump at the White House in October last year, when the conversation purportedly took place.

The Missouri speech also saw the president lash out at US allies and major global economies over trade. – AFP