MEXICO CITY — U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump met with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto here Wednesday afternoon, marking Trump’s first formal international trip as the Republican nominee, to a country where he is broadly despised for his vilification of illegal immigrants.
Addressing the media after the meeting alongside Peña Nieto, Trump said the two discussed trade, illegal immigration, and border security — issues where their views do not align.
“I was straighforward in presenting my view on the impact of current trade and immigration policies on the Untied States,” said Trump, who spoke second.
Trump said the two discussed his proposed wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, but, “we didn’t discuss who pays for the wall.” Trump wants Mexico to pay for it and has made it a central slogan of his rowdy U.S. political rallies. Peña Nieto has said Mexico will not do that.
Peña Nieto offered a polite and careful rebuke to many of Trump’s signature stances in his remarks. According to an interpreter, he said illegal immigration and border security is a shared challenge, but that undocumented immigration has slowed in recent years. He also praised the merits of free trade; Trump has expressed deep skepticism about sweeping trade deals.
“I shared my strong view that NAFTA has been a far greater benefit to Mexico than it has been to the United States,” said Trump.
Trump said the meeting was “tremendous” and lasted more than an hour.
The two stood at side-by-side podiums with a Mexican flag in the background. There was no U.S. flag.
Trump and Peña Nieto met at Los Pinos, the official presidential residence and office, ahead of a major immigration speech Trump plans to deliver in Phoenix.
American reporters who regularly cover Trump expressed concerns on social media about his decision not to bring his usual traveling press corps with him.
Trump flew by helicopter to Los Pinos for his meeting, according to Mexican media. He did not appear in front of journalists when he arrived at the presidential palace.
Trump was joined by former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) during the meeting, according to a person familiar with the gathering, who was granted anonymity to describe the closed-door talks.
Peña Nieto has sharply condemned Trump for repeatedly declaring that Mexico is sending predatory killers and rapists into America, but he is now the target of condemnation at home for extending an invitation to Trump last Friday. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton also received an invitation but has not arranged a meeting yet.
That looked like two heads of state to me. Great optics.
Where are the “Untied States”? Is that us?
The timing couldn’t have been better.
Trump gave a great speech (starts at the 45 minute mark).
Hillary will arrange a meeting “sometime in the future”…riiiight.
Hillary’s response “but he is a raccciiiiisssstttt!!”
Sometime in the future – before or after she goes to Louisiana?!
Trump is so far inside Hillary’s OODA loop, she does’t know what’s hitting her. Her pathetic response in OH to yet another very presidential looking venue by Trump was laughable.
Tomorrow she’ll come up with some pitiful, wretched response to his immigration speech later tonight. And we’ll be watching yet another Trump campaign move that they are unprepared for. Imagine Romney taking it to Obama/Jarrett like this…yeah I know.
Mexico’s pres has it dialed in-he knows which way the chips are gonna fall. Didn’t hear any Mussolini bullshit with the Man standing there.
Trump has had more presidential pro-US meetings with foreign leaders before he’s elected president than Obarky has had in nearly eight years in office.
Trump has Hildabeast shaking in her cankles !
” President Nieto Says NAFTA Can Be Reopened and Improved”
The guys not even elected yet and he’s already getting heads of state to renegotiate contracts. This is going to be fun.
Great optics. Looking very Presidential.
Even WAPO seems grudgingly respectful, and confined their usual negative pejoratives about Trump to a minimum (‘widely despised’, ‘rowdy rallies’). That must have felt like choking back tears.
Brilliant moves. Meanwhile, ‘Dyin’ Granny’ is being helped up stairs, and Mystery Diazepam Aide is back in her entourage.
Hillary says something about a one hour meeting doesn’t make up for a years worth of dissing. She don’t get it, she ain’t got it.
I really questioned the wisdom of flying into hostile territory without the Marines and 101st Airborne along side. Damn glad he is safe. Good work Mr. President!
El Presidente sees the Trump train coming. Better to get off the tracks and wait patiently on the station platform if you wanna get a seat.
The man has hillary on the ropes, and he ain’t backing down.
Hey RINO’s, see how it’s done.
“Hey RINO’s, see how it’s done.”
Shithead mccain gets to be a real maverick til the end of his days
I love this shit.
LIKE A BOSS=> Trump Tells Mexican Audience ‘We Will Talk About Who Pays for the Wall”
Estimado Presidente, please allow me the privilege of responding to your kind invitation to Mrs. Clinton on her behalf.
The Dowager Duchess of Chappaqua regrets that she cannot meet with you as she has no time before the election, only fundraisers, debates, and naps. She looks forward to meeting you after the election to shake you and your country down for a multi-million-dollar “donation” to her “foundation.”
Mexico isn’t paying for the wall by writing a check…
They will end up paying for it indirectly, like how a trade deficit sucks money out of a country.
Right now the general method has been putting a fee on the wire transfers to Mexico.
Bob, yep, or by Tarrif. They have no choice really.
He is kicking ass tonight with his speech n Arizona!
Why no comment link to that?
Anonymous — Yes, his immigration speech tonight is epic! It would have been great to have a comment thread for it. Maybe tomorrow?
AA Yes BFH and MJA need a break too. Tomorrow will be fine. I have to get some rest myself. I had a rough day at the Golf Course. Never heard such bitchin’ and moanin’ about slow play from assholes who can’t his a ball more than thirty yards and then clean their club, place it in the bag, and ride thirty yards to retrieve it and
take another swing. You might ask, what has this to do with the topic? Not a Goddamn thing. It’s just that Trump is not President yet and the media, the fuckin’ media, are just like the assholes I have to deal with. Now I have to go through the same shit tomorrow.
I’m thinking of quitting. But who would hire an old cantankerous prick like me? Trump? Any one out there? I need the work to pay my taxes for the disabled Mexicans here.
That was badly written. But I changed to Vodka, so forgive me.
“look ma, no bowing to foreign leaders”!