President Trump lashed out Wednesday after comments he made during an off-the-record session with some of the country's most influential journalists found their way into press reports.

"Gave an OFF THE RECORD luncheon, somewhat of a White House tradition or custom, to network anchors yesterday - and they quickly leaked the contents of the meeting. Who would believe how bad it has gotten with the mainstream media, which has gone totally bonkers!" Trump tweeted.



Gave an OFF THE RECORD luncheon, somewhat of a White House tradition or custom, to network anchors yesterday - and they quickly leaked the contents of the meeting. Who would believe how bad it has gotten with the mainstream media, which has gone totally bonkers! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2019



Trump on Tuesday hosted a select group of network anchors, including CNN’s Chris Cuomo and Fox News’ Bret Baier, for an off-the-record meal hours before he was due to address the nation in his first televised speech from the Oval Office. Remarks from their discussion, however, were reported on Thursday morning, including how the president had doubts a prime-time appearance would help him make his case for more than $5 billion to fund his southern border wall amid a partial government shutdown.

“It’s not going to change a damn thing, but I’m still doing it,” Trump said Tuesday, according to the New York Times.

Trump also reportedly told the network personalities that his trip to Texas on Thursday was a mere photo opportunity, but that White House communication aides Bill Shine, Sarah Sanders, and Kellyanne Conway thought it would be "worth it" as negotiations with congressional Democrats stall over funding for a physical barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border.