Mexican President: We Won't Pay for the Wall; Trump: They Will

Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for the upcoming U.S. presidential election, who has made building a wall on the Mexican border one of his campaign slogans, met with the President of Mexico. After the meeting, Trump stated that there was no discussion about the cost of the wall, but the Mexican leader said, "I clearly stated that we will not pay for the wall." After returning from Mexico to the U.S., Trump said in a speech, "Believe me, Mexico will pay for the wall." The meeting between the Republican candidate and the Mexican president took place after this senior executive invited both U.S. presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, for talks. On September 1, Trump visited Enrique Peña Nieto, referred to Mexican citizens as "incredible people," and emphasized that if he wins the election, building the wall at the border is America's right. One of Trump's main campaign slogans is to combat immigration to the U.S. He stated that he intends to deport illegal immigrants and build the wall at the expense of Mexico. During his meeting with Peña Nieto, the Republican candidate mentioned the challenges of drug trafficking, illegal immigration, and arms smuggling as common issues between the two neighboring countries. After the meeting, he told reporters, "We respect each country's right to create a physical barrier or wall at any border point." He added that there was no discussion about who would pay for the wall, but Peña Nieto tweeted that "at the beginning of the conversation with Donald Trump, I clearly stated that Mexico will not pay for the wall." After returning from Mexico, Trump said in a campaign speech in Arizona, "Mexico will pay for the wall. One hundred percent. They don’t know it yet, but they will pay for the wall at the U.S. border." Trump's campaign has described his meeting with the Mexican president as a first step in negotiation and trust-building, stating, "We are interested in continuing the discussions." At the beginning of his campaign, amid the Republican primary competition, Trump had said that criminals and "rapists" come to the U.S. from the Mexican border. Peña Nieto had also compared the Republican candidate's positions to the thoughts of Hitler and Mussolini. However, during their meeting on Wednesday, both adopted a mild tone. The Mexican president said the negotiations were "constructive," although he also mentioned that many people in his country view Trump's statements negatively. Trump also spoke respectfully about Mexican citizens.