In a “he said, she said” situation, President-elect Donald Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum appear to have very different recollections of a conversation that touched on hot-button immigration issues.
After the phone call late Wednesday, President Trump wrote on social media that Mexican leaders had agreed to halt immigration through Mexico and into the United States.
“I had a great conversation with Mexico’s new president, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo. She agreed to stop immigration into the United States through Mexico, effectively closing the southern border,” to Truth Social I mentioned it in my post. “It was a very productive conversation!”
Mr. Sheinbaum’s explanation differed from Mr. Trump’s.
“In my conversation with President Trump, I briefed him about the comprehensive strategy that Mexico has taken to deal with the migration phenomenon while respecting human rights,” she told X. “We reiterate that Mexico’s position is not to close the border, but instead to build bridges” between the government and the people. ”
Sheinbaum said earlier that she had a “great conversation with President Donald Trump.”
“I shared with him that the caravan has not arrived at the northern border because they are serving in Mexico,” she said in the post, adding that large groups of migrants hoping to reach the U.S. mentioned that they were traveling together.
The two leaders’ phone conversation came days after President Trump announced that the incoming administration would impose new tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada and China starting January 20.
President Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Monday that he plans to impose “a 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada on all products” imported into the United States, a proposal that would address the ongoing fentanyl crisis. He said it was a countermeasure.
President Trump said the tariffs will remain in place until “drugs, especially fentanyl, and all illegal aliens are stopped from invading our country!”
