The First Political Victim of the U.S. Elections

The U.S. general elections, particularly the presidential election this year, will undoubtedly result in losers. Although there are still more than two months until the end of this major political event of 2016, some American media have already identified the first victim not among the candidates but from a non-American political figure: Enrique Peña Nieto, the 'unpopular' president of Mexico. USA Today reported that on Thursday, the Mexican president had just completed the second day of fiery attacks from his critics, who argue that Mr. Peña Nieto acted weakly against Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, and instead of defending Mexico's interests and dignity, he invited him for tea and conversation, only to realize after their meeting that Trump is a 'dangerous' person. Arturo Franco, a senior researcher at the Atlantic Council in Washington, stated on Thursday, September 1, that 'the Mexican president had a complete opportunity to correct Trump, but he remained silent and allowed the Republican candidate to appear presidential, which will have consequences beyond Mexico.' Some American newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal, considered Donald Trump's brief visit to Mexico and his conversation with the Mexican president a success for him, while Tim Kaine, Hillary Clinton's running mate, labeled it amateur diplomacy. Clinton herself remarked that 'negotiating with leaders of other countries and garnering their cooperation has been my daily work, and this requires stability, reliability, and trust.' In response to such comments, Mike Pence, Donald Trump's running mate, said on Thursday, September 1, that 'Ms. Clinton's assistant should look at her record to better understand the meaning of amateur diplomacy.' Pence, in an interview with CNN, stated: 'A look at the diplomatic achievements of Ms. Clinton and Mr. Obama evokes the term 'amateur diplomacy,' referring to the U.S. government's red lines in foreign policy (referring to the U.S. red line regarding Bashar al-Assad's use of chemical weapons), the so-called reset of relations with Russia, the emergence of ISIS, and events throughout the Middle East that have disrupted the stability and security of the region.' The Republican vice-presidential candidate added: 'I prefer to rely on the reassuring leadership of Donald Trump, who has demonstrated his ability for effective diplomacy and advanced American interests.' Meanwhile, CNN reported on September 1, citing its congressional reporter, that Republican members of the House of Representatives have benefited from distancing themselves from Donald Trump. 'Republican lawmakers had a hot and tough summer; Trump's position in key battleground states has been weak, and their Democratic rivals raised three times more funds in July. At the same time, speculation about losing the majority in the Senate added to their concerns, and there were also fears of losing the majority in the House of Representatives.' CNN adds: 'However, evidence suggests that the congressional Republicans' strategy of distancing themselves from the controversial party candidate has been effective.' According to CNN's website, data from the National Republican Congressional Committee and Republican House candidates indicate that in recent weeks, in half of the very tight races in several states, these candidates have had a much better position than Donald Trump, with some even outperforming their Democratic rivals. Meanwhile, Mr. Trump continues to lag behind his rival, Ms. Clinton. Congressional Republicans are concerned that Trump's deep unpopularity among Latino voters could be a factor in their lagging in several electoral districts across the country, but in the third district of Nevada, where 15% of the residents are Spanish-speaking, the Republican candidate is 12% ahead of his Democratic rival, while in the same area, according to the latest poll, Hillary Clinton is 3% ahead of Donald Trump. Thus, although evidence points to Donald Trump as the main victim of this year's elections, it cannot be said with certainty who will be the political victim of one of the most controversial elections in modern American history.