The Very Stable Genius's definition of negotiation: Okay, here's how it's going to be

Okay, he has a valid point about the blatant violating of journalistic ethics by the betrayal of the understanding that his remarks were going to be off the record.

But you know what they say about character: it shows in how you behave when no one's looking.

I mean, why say this stuff to the reporter if you meant it to be some kind of secret that would die with you?

But leave it to the VSG to take as boneheaded an approach to a close ally as could be imagined:

High-stakes trade negotiations between Canada and the U.S. were dramatically upended on Friday morning by inflammatory secret remarks from President Donald Trump, after the remarks were obtained by the Toronto Star.

In remarks Trump wanted to be “off the record,” Trump told Bloomberg News reporters on Thursday, according to a source, that he is not making any compromises at all in the talks with Canada — but that he cannot say this publicly because “it’s going to be so insulting they’re not going to be able to make a deal.”

“Here’s the problem. If I say no — the answer’s no. If I say no, then you’re going to put that, and it’s going to be so insulting they’re not going to be able to make a deal ... I can’t kill these people,” he said of the Canadian government.

In another remark he did not want published, Trump said, according to the source, that the possible deal with Canada would be “totally on our terms.” He suggested he was scaring the Canadians into submission by repeatedly threatening to impose tariffs.

“Off the record, Canada’s working their ass off. And every time we have a problem with a point, I just put up a picture of a Chevrolet Impala,” Trump said, according to the source. The Impala is produced at the General Motors plant in Oshawa, Ontario. 

Whatever other characterization applies to the VSG, "jerk" has to be one.