Tensions between the US and Mexico have been steadily on the rise since Trump’s administration took office; in fact, the President of Mexico cancelled a meeting with Trump on Thursday because Trump tweeted that “If Mexico is unwilling to pay for the badly needed wall, then it would be better to cancel the upcoming meeting.”
A call between Donald Trump and Enrique Pena Nieto, confirmed by the White House in a statement, brought on an agreement between the US and Mexican presidents; while Trump said that call was a good one, many other issues of importance were discussed, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement.
According to a statesman from Nieto’s office, “With regards to the payment of the border wall, both Presidents recognized their clear and very public different positions on this very sensitive subject and agreed to resolve these differences as part of an integral discussion on all aspects of the bilateral relationship. The Presidents also agreed, for now, to not publicly talk about this controversial topic.”
While the White House confirmed that the call took place, the agreement between the two Presidents was not stated outright.
Later that day, Sean Spicer, White House press secretary, reported that such an agreement was reached. He said, “They agreed not to discuss how it will be paid for publicly, that they will continue to have those discussions privately.”
At a recent press conference, Trump mentioned the border issue in saying, “The border is soft and weak, drugs are pouring in.” However, he held up his end of the agreement in not discussing the matter of payment.
