Trump Slams Canada Over NAFTA Talks: We Shouldn't Have to Buy Our Friends

President Donald Trump has hit out at trade talks with Canada, commenting: "we shouldn't have to buy our friends."

In a series of tweets on Saturday, the president dismissed the talks between Canada and the U.S. after they broke without reaching an agreement on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

"We shouldn't have to buy our friends with bad Trade Deals and Free Military Protection!" the president wrote, having earlier slammed talks with Canada.

The Friday deadline to reach a deal was missed, but negotiations between the two nations are set to continue next week. In the meantime, the U.S. is expected to continue with a deal it reached with Mexico in the week, the BBC reported.

But Trump was not pleased with the fact that no deal had been reached by Friday, lashing out at Canada over the "decades of abuse" he said the U.S. had suffered over trade deals with the country.

"There is no political necessity to keep Canada in the new NAFTA deal. If we don't make a fair deal for the U.S. after decades of abuse, Canada will be out. Congress should not interfere w/ these negotiations or I will simply terminate NAFTA entirely & we will be far better off," the president wrote.

"Remember, NAFTA was one of the WORST Trade Deals ever made. The U.S. lost thousands of businesses and millions of jobs. We were far better off before NAFTA—should never have been signed. Even the Vat Tax was not accounted for. We make new deal or go back to pre-NAFTA!" he added.

The president's tweets came a day after he admitted to the authenticity of off-the-record remarks about Canada that he made to Bloomberg that were leaked on Friday by The Toronto Star.

"It's going to be so insulting they're not going to be able to make a deal," Trump said, according to an anonymous source cited by The Star.

"Here's the problem. If I say no—the answer's no," Trump added. "I can't kill these people," he added, in reference to the Canadian government.

Appearing to acknowledge that he did make the comments—and simultaneously lashing out at the media—the president tweeted: "Wow, I made OFF THE RECORD COMMENTS to Bloomberg concerning Canada, and this powerful understanding was BLATANTLY VIOLATED. Oh well, just more dishonest reporting. I am used to it. At least Canada knows where I stand!"