Here we go: Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto cancelled a meeting with US President Donald Trump over renewed tensions over Trump’s plan to a) build a wall and b) make Mexico pay for it.
“This morning we have informed the White House that I will not attend the meeting scheduled for next Tuesday with the POTUS,” Peña Nieto tweeted.
“Mexico offers and demands respect, as the sovereign nation that we are … We reaffirm our friendship with the people of the United States and will try to reach agreements with the government on behalf of Mexicans … Mexico reiterates its willingness to work with the United States to achieve agreements in favour of both nations.”
It comes after Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday to begin the process of erecting the highly divisive wall, which is estimated to cost between $12–$15 billion (AU$15.92–$19.89 billion).
“Mexico does not believe in walls. I’ve said time again: Mexico will not pay for any wall.”
Trump responded by goading his Mexican counterpart into cancelling, something Mexican media had reported yesterday he was thinking of doing anyway.
The U.S. has a 60 billion dollar trade deficit with Mexico. It has been a one-sided deal from the beginning of NAFTA with massive numbers…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 26, 2017
of jobs and companies lost. If Mexico is unwilling to pay for the badly needed wall, then it would be better to cancel the upcoming meeting.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 26, 2017
It’s now being reported that Trump is calling for a 20% tax on Mexican imports in order to cover the cost.
BREAKING: White House spokesman: Trump calling for 20 percent tax on imports from Mexico to pay for southern border wall.
— The Associated Press (@AP) January 26, 2017
It also really, really needs to be pointed out that former Mexican president Vicente Fox Quesada is using his Twitter account almost solely to deliver ‘fuck you’ after ‘fuck you’ to Trump.
Sean Spicer, I’ve said this to @realDonaldTrump and now I’ll tell you: Mexico is not going to pay for that fucking wall. #FuckingWall
— Vicente Fox Quesada (@VicenteFoxQue) January 25, 2017
Sean Spicer, I’ve said this to @realDonaldTrump and now I’ll tell you: Mexico is not going to pay for that fucking wall. #FuckingWall
— Vicente Fox Quesada (@VicenteFoxQue) January 25, 2017
#trump grow up,behave like a president.Stop lying and cheating American https://t.co/ODERldPWI8 know you lost popular vote.
— Vicente Fox Quesada (@VicenteFoxQue) January 25, 2017
Although, if presidents (both current and former) continue to wage international relations via their Twitter accounts, could one of the many people they pay big dollars to manage said accounts teach them how to thread their bloody tweets? Cheers.
Photo: Getty / Chip Somodevilla.