Earlier today, The Toronto Star published bombshell off the record excerpts from President Donald Trump’s interview with Bloomberg that “upended” trade talks between the two nations:
NAFTA BOMBSHELL: The Star has obtained inflammatory secret comments about Canada that Trump made "off the record" yesterday, and they have upended the talks this morning: https://t.co/BDx49fq8pz
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 31, 2018
Since The Toronto Star was not party to the off the record nature of the comments, it was free to publish them. The reporter on the story, Daniel Dale explained:
What happened: I obtained these quotes. I'm not bound by Bloomberg's "off the record" promises. I asked the White House and the Trudeau team for comment. The Trudeau team, which is certain the quotes are accurate, sprung them on Trump's team at the meeting this morning.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 31, 2018
From Dale’s subsequent tweets on the matter, he said the “White House very much did not want this published”:
White House hasn't disputed the authenticity of the quotes but suggested I shouldn't publish. Deputy Press Sec Lindsay Walters said, “If this was said, it was said in an off the record capacity. I understand you guys have obtained it; I’m not sure where you’ve obtained it from.”
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 31, 2018
This is possible but I am doubtful. The White House very much did not want this published. https://t.co/uQuvXT61IF
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 31, 2018
And in the middle of all this, there was another on/off the record mini-controversy where Deputy Press Secretary Lindsay Walters thought she was off the record but according to Dale, she wasn’t:
Trump spokes Walters is now telling me her comments were off the record, which they weren't. This is the official WH comment, which does not deny the Trump quotes: "The Canadian and American negotiators continue to work on reaching a win-win deal that benefits both countries.”
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 31, 2018
President Trump later tweeting his anger that the off the record comments were published, but it’s not clear who leaked them to The Toronto Star. Was it on Bloomberg’s end or did the leak come from the White House?
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
Despite Dale’s reporting that the White House didn’t want the comments made public, reporters are speculating that it was the White House that was responsible.
Blake Hounshell, Politico:
Given how Bloomberg operates, seems unlikely someone there would have leaked it. https://t.co/mpRtvRqxgK
— Blake Hounshell (@blakehounshell) August 31, 2018
Pete Souza, former White House photographer for the Obama administration:
Your staff leaked this per your explicit direction. Everybody knows this, believe me! https://t.co/dA7lzkFmgd
— Pete Souza (@PeteSouza) August 31, 2018
John Dickerson, CBS News:
Those evaluating this claim must gauge whether of all the things President Trump says off the record, reporters would choose to break an inviolate Off the Record agreement for the purpose of leaking comments on…..Canadian trade? https://t.co/v66mtJw78m
— John Dickerson (@jdickerson) August 31, 2018
Maggie Haberman, New York Times:
This literally never happens, that the OTR portions of these interviews leaks. Most people close to White House have raised possibility that Trump ordered it put out. https://t.co/tDHFpsT6KK
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) August 31, 2018
John Allen, NBC News:
If you look at his comments in the day suggesting it’s good that it became public – “in the end it’s ok because at least Canada knows how I feel” – it makes sense. https://t.co/PfN4vdDDQk
— Jonathan Allen (@jonallendc) August 31, 2018
Jonathan Swan, Axios:
https://twitter.com/jonathanvswan/status/1035635716582199296
Even former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci as heard rumors that the leak was from the White House:
I have. Trying to confirm if that actually happened. If so I will delete the tweet. I don’t like the war on the media and want both sides to de-escalate. https://t.co/XSDSKVFasR
— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) August 31, 2018
Dale, however, isn’t talking about how he got the comments:
I won’t be commenting on the source of the leaked quotes.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 31, 2018
But he did give an example where off the record comments did come from the paper doing the interview, so take this for what you will:
Maggie's right that this almost never happens, but it has happened once before: when the WSJ wouldn't release a transcript of its Trump interview last year, Politico published the whole thing, off-record parts included: https://t.co/gbJw4e8CRM https://t.co/kUlzbQ6y3V
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 31, 2018
As for the talks, there is no deal…
U.S.-Canada trade talks conclude with no deal: Wall Street Journal https://t.co/pk3MBYDwGQ pic.twitter.com/ROkJD8rC4W
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) August 31, 2018
…but there’s still hope:
And that's it for the day. A short time ago Trump sent a note to Congress earlier giving notice of his intention to sign a trade agreement with Mexico "and Canada, if it is willing" in 90 days
— Zi-Ann Lum (@ziannlum) August 31, 2018
Trump’s statement to Congress:
Here's the text of President Trump's notification to Congress on NAFTA. Key point: He's starting the clock to have a new agreement in place by Nov. 30 – with or without Canada. pic.twitter.com/ft7ZAe5lpL
— Gregory Korte (@gregorykorte) August 31, 2018
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