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Trump to Visit Mexico City Wednesday
Update: It’s confirmed.
I have accepted the invitation of President Enrique Pena Nieto, of Mexico, and look very much forward to meeting him tomorrow.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 31, 2016
From the Washington Post:
Donald Trump is considering jetting to Mexico City on Wednesday for a meeting with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, just hours before he delivers a high-stakes speech in Arizona to clarify his views on immigration policy, according to people in the United States and Mexico familiar with the discussions.
The possibility, which was hatched in recent days by Trump and his campaign advisers, comes after Trump has wavered for weeks over whether he would continue to hold his hard-line positions on the central and incendiary issue of his campaign, in particular his call to deport an estimated 11 million immigrants who are living in the United States illegally.
The people informed of Trump’s plans requested anonymity due to the sensitivity surrounding its planning. They said late Tuesday that talks between the Trump campaign and Mexican officials were ongoing, with Trump interested in going but logistics and security concerns still being sorted out.
Peña Nieto has extended an invitation for the businessman to come visit with him in Mexico to talk about various political and economic issues, the people said. Trump, sensing an opportunity, decided over the weekend to accept the invitation and push for a visit this week.
The Trump campaign declined to comment.
What do you think, Ricochetti: Is this a chance for Trump to take a kinder, gentler approach with our southern neighbor or an opportunity to dress down President Peña Nieto?
Published in General
Quick, build the wall while he is down there.
I designed a hat for his trip.
He’s going to set up a payment plan for Mexico to finance the wall.
I can’t help but think that this is a dangerous trip – I’m sure the Secret Service can’t be pleased.
As only Nixon could go to China, only Trump can go to Mexico.
Rats. You beat me to it.
I’d like to institute an ideological immigration test for orange Presbyterians.
Damn, you beat me too it.
This has internationale incidente written all over it.
My money is on DJT dancing to the receiving anthem. “La Cucaracha”
gawd, let him hold the line. Send them all home. (but great election strategy to go down there).
If his campaign staff does this right, there will be a photo op and a “frank discussion of mutual topics”.
The best outcome is a botched hit squad stopped by the Secret Service and funded by the narcocartels. With film.
Enrique Peña Nieto’s intel on Trump’s odds may have him worried. El Presidente seems suddenly interested in rebuilding the bridge he rather unskillfully burned not long ago……..something about Faschist dictator blah blah blah.
Si como no?
Sure, get Jeb! and Ted Cruz to do it. I hear they have a lot of free time on their hands these days.
I wouldn’t take a check, that’s for sure.
Well I hope Mexican civility gets us through this without anything untoward.
Otoh, being President does involve balancing Domestic politicking and Diplomacy.
Perhaps we will all be pleasantly surprised?
I would love to be pleasantly surprised. Particularly, since I expect something like this:
I should not be this cynical this early in the day.
Nieto invited Hillary to visit as well, but he forgot to include her check.
I think it would be great if we could have a “re-set” as Mrs. Bill said of Russia, of our relationship with the GOVERNMENT of Mexico. We do a lot of business with them, as many have pointed out, Trump most loudly. I remember when Fox ran for president of Mexico: it was in his platform to encourage illegal immigration to US. Also he made a speech to Congress openly chiding anyone who doesn’t supprort this idea–and Dems, led by Pelosi, applauded him for dissing our country.
We already have a relationship, obviously, with Mexican BUSINESSES. And we have a relationship with the (“wonderful”,”hardworking”, “just-want-a-better-life”) people who breach our border every year, who sidle over 9 months pregnant to give their progeny birthright citizenship, who support their families and pay for infrastructure projects in Mexico with their remittances (yes, infrastructure projects there are financed with “matching grants” geared to the amount of illegally sent remittances.
What’s missing? The Mexican government.
We can’t control illegal immigration via that border–and it’s not just Mexicans, it’s Guatemalans, Hondurans, etc AND increasingly, unidentified Middle Easterners– leaking in here that way, without the cooperation of the Mex gov’t. Right now, they’re actively facilitating it.
We’ve gotta find out–and let the American people know–the real reasons why no one, in either government, and no one in business in either country, actually wants to stop the flood.
What, exactly, is wrong with Mexico? It’s got oil, tourism, great climate, two coasts, democracy…why isn’t it the jewel of the lower North American continent?
It made a great start back in the 19th century when its ferocious and competent army expelled the French! Case in point: Cinco de Mayo.
Somebody has to start investigating, and exposing, what is really going on down there. People in both countries need to get beyond the clichés spouted by Univision, , the meme of “compassion” which, till now, politicians on both sides have been afraid to challenge or even examine.
I hope, maybe, Trump is making that start.
“Look, you pay for the wall and we’ll pay for your tacos. I love the tacos you people make. Win-win.”
Unidentified Middle Easterners? Really? That’s certainly exciting news.
It’s really a mystery? Because it’s good for business. Safeguarding the jobs and wages of unskilled American workers is, sadly, not high on any US political party’s real agenda.
Poor Mexico. So far from God, so close to the United States. Or so they say : – )
Why would he do that? The best tacos are at Trump tower.
I smell a trap. Nieto might sabotage Trump at the press conference after their meeting. Something polite, like “We had a frank exchange of views. Unfortunately, we continue to disagree on many issues and I remain pessimistic about our future relations.” With this, Neto would be seen as a hero to Mexicans for having stood up to Trump, and Trump’s standing with hispanics would sink.
Also, this incident would command headlines for the next few weeks.
Once again Trump takes Hillary’s troubles off the front page with an ill-timed stunt. Clinton couldn’t pay for an opponent to be as helpful as Trump has been. Oh wait, I hear it now…
Obama visits to Mexico:
April 2009
August 2009
June 2012
May 2013
February 2014
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_visits_to_Mexico
I think this is key. If the illegal immigrant population was only or mainly from Mexico and at it’s current level from Mexico, the problem would not be as big. Trump could soften his rhetoric about our southern boarder, if he got Mexico to strengthen their enforcement of their southern boarder.
Mexico already HAS a big new wall on its Southern border–and the US spent millions building it! (So really, why shouldn’t Mex pay for Northern wall? And how come nobody ever mentions this?)
But Mex also has a train route, a bunch of freight cars known as “The Beast”, that originates very near its border with Guatemala, to transport other Central Americans (2 yrs ago, you may remember, it was a horde of Guatemalan “children” lured by DACA) to the US border. Mexico goes to a lot of trouble to make sure this train is only a conduit; nobody stays in Mexico and nobody gets off the train en route!
Cui bono? There was a rumor the train was owned by a US company, but that co says it’s owned and operated by a wholly-Mexican-owned subsidiary.
See, this was the point of my original comment # 18: somebody has to begin unraveling all theses threads–and bringing the whole tangled skein to the consciousness of the American public.
Nothing so crude. I believe that sone people on both sides of the border profit from how things are on both sides of the border. Their economic interests are not limited by national boundaries. Fishtown loses out on both sides of the border, but Belmont is turning a profit.
wrt awesome people = awesome country and therefore catastrophic country = bad people – again that seems a bit simple minded. Immigrants from many catastrophic countries (eg India) do well in the US. The native born in the US still sometimes manage to live catastrophic lives.
i guess it isn’t that bracingly straightforward?