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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump boasted in a fundraising speech that he made up details about trade in a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, according to a recording of the comments.

The leaked recording provided fodder for the American political talk shows Thursday, animating discussions in the U.S. not only about the substance of the trading relationship but also the style of the president.

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Trump was overheard telling donors at an event in Missouri the previous night that he insisted to Trudeau that the United States runs a trade deficit with its neighbour to the north — without any idea of whether this is the case.

“Trudeau came to see me. He’s a good guy, Justin. He said, ‘No, no, we have no trade deficit with you. Donald, please.’ Nice guy, good-looking (guy), comes in and says, ‘Donald, we have no trade deficit’,” Trump said.

“I said, ‘Wrong, Justin, you do.’ I didn’t even know. I had no idea. I just said, ‘You’re wrong.’ You know why? Because we’re so stupid (in negotiating past trade deals). And I thought (the Canadians) were smart… By the way, Canada, they negotiate tougher than Mexico.”