Trump says he made up facts in meeting

At a fundraising speech last week, President Donald Trump said he made up trade information in a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, according to an audio recording obtained by the Washington Post. Trump said he told Trudeau that the United States runs a trade deficit with Canada — despite having “no idea” whether that was the case. The U.S. actually had a $12.5 billion trade surplus with Canada in 2016.

Class discussion: Have you ever made up “facts” during an argument? Has anyone ever made up “facts” in an argument with you? Could Trump have trouble in future negotiations after admitting he claimed a “fact” he didn’t know to be true? Do you think the president has made up other “facts”? Do you think other politicians make up “facts”? Do you know how to find out if politicians and other people in the news are using real facts in their arguments?