Toronto Star reporter says Trump wrong about NAFTA talk leak

The Toronto Star journalist who reported brash remarks apparently made by US President Donald Trump off-the-record to Bloomberg says that news agency was not his source.

The Canadian daily had quoted Trump as boasting in an interview with Bloomberg that he was playing hardball with Canada in tense talks aimed at overhauling the North American Free Trade Agreement, emphasizing that a potential deal would be made on US terms.

The report infuriated Trump, who lambasted his Bloomberg interviewers -- but on Saturday, the Toronto paper's Washington bureau chief Daniel Dale said those reporters were off the hook.

"I'd said I wasn't going to say anything about my source for the quotes Trump made off the record to Bloomberg," tweeted Dale.

"However, I don't want to be party to the president's smearing of excellent, ethical journalists. So I can say this: none of the Bloomberg interviewers was my source."

Following the publication of Trump's remarks the Republican leader had accused Bloomberg journalists of breaking their promises to him.

"Wow, I made OFF THE RECORD COMMENTS to Bloomberg concerning Canada, and this powerful understanding was BLATANTLY VIOLATED."

But he did not deny making the comments, instead tweeting: "At least Canada knows where I stand!"

Dale has said he will continue protecting his source's identity.