“Who pays for the wall? We didn’t discuss that.”
Donald Trump just came up empty-handed in Mexico and exposed the absurdity of his presidential campaign to the world. Since the launch of his presidential bid, Donald Trump has promised to build a wall across the U.S.-Mexico border and make Mexico pay for it. Over and over and over again. Today, Trump met with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto for nearly an hour and admitted:”Who pays for the wall? We didn’t discuss that.”
Whoops.
The wall (and making Mexico pay for it) is Donald Trump’s signature issue. At campaign stops across the country, Trump disparages immigrants, attacks the Mexican-American community and insults the Mexican nation. But south of the border, Trump wimped out.
Trump tried to obscure his past year of comments disparaging immigrants and the Mexican-American community. He neglected to even bring up how Mexico will pay for the wall. The fact is, for months, all Trump has offered the American people are lies and falsehoods in his frantic, power-hungry quest for the White House. This afternoon’s press conference was just more of the same.
this is surreal
— Matt Pearce (@mattdpearce) August 31, 2016
Essentially, Mexican president provided a platform for a candidate who’s spent a year beating on Mexicans to act like it never happened
— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) August 31, 2016
not great for Trump’s image as hard-nosed dealmaker to not even bring up topic of wall payment plan in meeting with Mexican president, no?
— Rosie Gray (@RosieGray) August 31, 2016
Trump doesn’t mention his desire to have Mexico pay for the wall
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) August 31, 2016
Trump’s signature line is that Mexico will pay for a border wall.
He met with the Mexican president & didn’t discuss their paying for wall
— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) August 31, 2016
“Who pays for the wall? We didn’t discuss that.”
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) August 31, 2016
Trump says they did discuss the wall. Says he was “strong” in the meeting.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) August 31, 2016
So if a border wall is a “shared” responsibility “and it will be shared” per @realdonaldtrump does that mean Mexico pays for only half?
— Cathleen Decker (@cathleendecker) August 31, 2016
Two different speeches. Trump insists trade is a one-way benefit and jobs are flowing out of the US. @EPN says US jobs depend on Mexico.
— Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) August 31, 2016
Trump says one of his goals is to “keep manufacturing wealth in our hemisphere.” Hemisphere??????????????????
— Matt Pearce (@mattdpearce) August 31, 2016
New campaign logo: Make Our Hemisphere Great Again!
— Enrique Acevedo (@Enrique_Acevedo) August 31, 2016
NEW: Instead of accusing Mexico of stealing jobs, Trump now says US could work with Mexico to keep manufacturing jobs in this “hemisphere.”
— Jenna Johnson (@wpjenna) August 31, 2016
Trump says he wants to “keep jobs and wealth in our hemisphere.” He usually says “in the United States,” and blames Mexico for taking them.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 31, 2016
Nieto: Mexican people are “honest and hardworking” he says next to a man who referred to some as rapists
— Gideon Resnick (@GideonResnick) August 31, 2016
Trump says Mexicans in the U.S. are “beyond reproach.” (Except for that whole rapists thing)
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) August 31, 2016
TRUMP JUST CALLED MEXICAN PEOPLE “SPECTACULAR, SPECTACULAR” PEOPLE. A YEAR AFTER CALLING THEM RAPISTS!
— Juan Escalante (@JuanSaaa) August 31, 2016
Fmr. Mexican Pres. Felipe Calderon on CNN on Trump praising Mexicans: “I don’t believe him. He’s lying.”
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 31, 2016
Donald Trump: “I happen to have a tremendous feeling for Mexican Americans” https://t.co/SfJWzo0Bw4 https://t.co/an0bFyFiyX
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) August 31, 2016