The White House said the president was talking about a deficit in goods
Transcript for Canada challenges Trump claim that it has trade deficit with US
Also this evening, president trump in his own words. The secret recording. What he said about a conversation he had with Canada’s prime minister. Here’s ABC’s chief global affairs correspondent Martha Raddatz tonight. Reporter: Have you always been truthful with prime minister Trudeau? Thank you very much. Reporter: No boasting from president trump today, but last night, at a Missouri fund-raiser, it was classic trump. In a secret recording obtained by NBC news, telling his supporters that he was essentially winging it with Canada’s prime minister, justib Trudeau, when countering Trudeau’s claims that the U. S. Had no trade deficit with Canada. Nice guy, good-looking, comes in, Donald, we have no trade deficit. He was very proud, because everybody else, you know, is getting killed with our ssh so, he’s proud. I said, wrong, Justin, you do. I didn’t even know. Josh, I had no idea. I just said, you’re wrong. You know why? Because we’re so stupid. Reporter: That got a laugh, but there was no joking today. Canada pointing to the U. S. Government website that shows there is an overall surplus, not a deficit, to the tune of $12.5 billion in 2016. That did not convince the president. Instead, doubling down, tweeting this morning, « We do have a trade deficit with Canada, as we do with almost all countries, some of them massive. » The white house says the president was talking about only the deficit in goods with Canada. Omitting the large surplus the U. S. Has in services. So, let’s get to Martha Raddatz live with us tonight, as well. As you report there, the Canadians pointing to our own government website and our numbers? Reporter: Ah, yeah, David. They stuck with that, low key, unfazed Canadian style, simply forwarding those statistics from the U. S. Trade representative that show an overall surplus, factoring in both goods and services, David. All right, Martha, thank you. Next tonight, newly released
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
