U.S. President Donald Trump addresses a news conference on the sidelines of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City, New York, U.S., September 25, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he decided to release a summary of a controversial phone call with Ukraine’s leader because “horrible things” were being reported about it, but that he did not like the precedent of releasing details of such calls.

“I don’t like the precedent,” Trump said at a news conference on the sidelines of a U.N. General Assembly meeting. “I don’t like it where you’re dealing with heads of state and to think that their call is going to be released.”