Donald Trump, Enrique Peña Nieto Meeting Details & Everything We know About the Wall Discussion
Donald Trump and Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto are openly disputing all the things they talked about during their high stakes gathering early Wednesday morning.
While the republican presidential nominee contends the two men discussed the wall he has vowed to build along the Mexican border as part of his overall hard-line stance against immigration, Trump insists the two never touched upon all the specifics, namely who will foot the bill for its construction.
"We did discuss the wall," Trump insisted. "We didn't discuss payment of the wall. That'll be for a later date."
Meanwhile, Peña Nieto has wasted little time in asserting he directly approached Trump on that very subject, insisting he "made it clear" Mexico would not be picking up the tab for any such development.
People of Mexico Insulted
In later interviews throughout the day in Mexico, Peña Nieto added he views some of the positions Trump has taken as "a threat to Mexico," adding that his people have been greatly insulted by all Trump's fiery anti-immigration rhetoric.
"The Mexican people have felt hurt by the comments that have been made," Peña Nieto added. "But I am sure that his genuine interest is to build a relationship that will give both of our society's better welfare."
Much of the motivation behind Trump's largely extemporaneous trip abroad seems to have been fueled by his growing desire to look more presidential and bolster his reputation as a world leader. As campaign season has dragged on, Trump has faced mounting criticisms about his temperament and overall fit to be commander in chief.
In times past, Peña Nieto has peppered Trump with comparisons to Adolf Hilter, stemming from his vow to deport some 11 million undocumented immigrants if he is elected.
More recently, Peña Nieto has turned the tables on his outspoken would-be ally, pointing out how America benefits from trade with Mexico and how conditions in his homeland have been made worse by the flood of guns crossing the border into his country from the U.S. fueling ongoing drug wars.
Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton supporters have pounced on the chance to use Trump's own words about payment for the wall not being discussed against him.
"Donald Trump has made his outlandish policy of forcing Mexico to pay for his giant wall the centerpiece of his campaign," Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta said in a statement. "But at the first opportunity to make good on his offensive campaign promises, Trump choked."
He later added: "What we saw today from a man who claims to be the ultimate 'deal maker' is that he doesn't have the courage to advocate for his campaign promises when he's not in front of a friendly crowd."
Trump's call for mass deportations and have been embraced by a large contingent of white working class voters who have staunchly pushed back against the notion of him "softening" on immigration.
Trump Double Downs
In a speech delivered in Arizona later on Wednesday, Trump doubled down on his hard-line stance on immigration, pledging to commence deportations within "my first hour in office."
Trump intimated part of that plan will also entail him rolling back an Obama administration supported program that grants legal work permits to young Latinos who arrived in the U.S. as children.
* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of latinpost.com