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TENSIONS BETWEEN DONALD Trump and Mexico’s Enrique Pena Nieto over the US leader’s vow to make Mexico fund a new wall on the neighbors’ border boiled over with the cancellation of talks in Washington set for next week.
Trump had been scheduled to receive Pena Nieto at the White House on Tuesday, for their first meeting since the inauguration. Instead, the Republican president is managing a foreign policy spat during his first week in office.
The escalating war of words over who would pay for the proposed border wall – a central pledge made by Trump during his successful presidential campaign – hit breaking point today.
“If Mexico is unwilling to pay for the badly needed wall, then it would be better to cancel the upcoming meeting,” Trump said on Twitter in the morning.
Pena Nieto didn’t take long to rise to the challenge.
“We informed the White House this morning that I will not attend the working meeting scheduled for next Tuesday” with Trump in Washington, the Mexican leader responded on Twitter.
Mexico reiterates its willingness to work with the United States to reach agreements in both nations’ interests.
Hours later, Trump told Republican lawmakers at a retreat in Philadelphia that the cancellation was by mutual agreement.
Unless Mexico is going to treat the United States fairly, with respect, such a meeting would be fruitless, and I want to go a different route. I have no choice.
White House spokesman Sean Spicer earlier told reporters that the “lines of communications” would remain open and Washington hoped to “schedule something in the future.”
Big price tag
The initial salvos between the two presidents came yesterday, when Trump ordered officials to begin to “plan, design and construct a physical wall” along the 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) US-Mexico border.
Stemming immigration was a central plank of Trump’s election campaign, but he has struggled to articulate how the wall will be paid for, beyond saying “Mexico will pay.”
Republican leaders announced today that they would try to carve out $12-15 billion worth of US taxpayers’ money for the project.
Trump also ordered a survey of the border to be completed within 180 days.
Much of the land needed to build the wall would have to be seized from private citizens in Texas, the state of Texas or tribal authorities.
That could result in long court battles and hefty expropriation payments.
‘Mexico will not pay for any wall’
Trump’s wall order had put Pena Nieto under fierce domestic pressure to hit back, and hit back the Mexican leader did in a video message to the nation late last night.
I regret and condemn the decision of the United States to continue construction of a wall that, for years, has divided us instead of uniting us.
“I have said it time and again: Mexico will not pay for any wall,” he added.
Around two in three Mexicans have a favorable opinion of the United States, according to Pew surveys, but anti-American and anti-Trump sentiment is not uncommon.
Pena Nieto saw his own approval rating slide late last year, after he hosted Trump – then still a White House candidate – in Mexico City.
NAFTA a ‘one-sided deal’?
Trump also took to Twitter today to gripe about the trade gap between Mexico and the United States.
“The US has a 60 billion dollar trade deficit with Mexico. It has been a one-sided deal from the beginning of NAFTA with massive numbers of jobs and companies lost,” he said.
That deficit for the trade in goods is slightly higher than the overall trade deficit – including services – of $49 billion in 2015.
Trump has vowed to renegotiate the 23-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement between Mexico, the United States and Canada.
That renegotiation could provide one way for Trump to claim victory, through increased tariffs on Mexican goods or higher border transit costs.
But it could also risk retaliatory tariffs or blowback from US firms who export $267 billion a year south of the border.
Another threat is to finance the wall by tapping into remittances that Mexican migrants send home, which last year amounted to $25 billion.
Trump has also ordered officials to scour US government departments and agencies in search of “direct and indirect” aid or assistance to the Mexican government and report back within 30 days.
The United States is expected to provide about $134 million worth of assistance to Mexico this year, with much of the spending wrapped up in the “Merida Initiative” to combat drug cartels.
Please tell me someone in government has heard the warning from the fiscal advisory council that the current corporation tax intake is not to be relied on for long term spending!!
@Stuart: Public sector unions won’t have heard it for sure…hand will be out soon!
@Gavin Tobin: Don’t forget that TDs were the first to get a payrise
@B Ó Raghallaigh: TD’s got the same pay rise as the rest of the public sector at the same time. I don’t begrudge them the salary, I do begrudge them the massive expenses they claim.
@Gavin Tobin: The PS will bury us again in the coming years, their pay and pensions are growing by the year and are totally out of control now…..we are in the hole for over 200 billion and as soon as reality hits we are in for serious pain…..our voting for FFG will once again cost us all dearly.
I am waiting to see how the increased carbon tax will be “ring fenced” as Leo Varadkar has promised and how we will be able to see how much money has been raised and where it is being spent or saved to deal with climate change issues.
We have to remember that this is not just another cash cow.
@George Vladisavljevic: That won’t happen George.
@George Vladisavljevic: We’ve already used some of the ‘bonus’ corporation tax take for pay rises against their advice when we should have used some for capital projects to bring value for the future, expand Luas, improve rail & bus but sure we’ve a great record in ppp projects. Most expensive children’s hospital.
Are people completely delusional. The economy is about to go over a cliff thanks to brexit and people want a give away budget .
@jerry slattery: its amazing the amount of people spin and bluster works on
@jerry slattery: The economy is about to hit recession due to global factors that no one in the media is talking about. Brexit will exacerbate it for us ten fold. It’s going to be worse than 2010.
@Ian Breathnach: Totally different to last time, but don’t let the facts get in the way of a good scare story.
@Brian Henoll: Huh? Just because it’s different, doesn’t mean it is without fact. Credit based recessions are sharp and severe. What we’re potentially facing now is something we haven’t seen before and for that reason is much harder to predict. Most economists however believe that in the current climate, a global recession would be a much longer and slower burn.
@Ian Breathnach: can’t wait I’ll be able to buy a house then bring it on
In a country where motor tax pays for water infrastructure you can be sure that carbon will be spent on anything but eliminating itself.
@Denis McClean: motor tax also pays for education, health etc. Its not ring fenced just for roads, hell motor tax intake wouldn’t come close to paying for roads.
@Barry Somers: what is tax and duty on petrol and diesel, toll charges, insurance levy vat on car parts as well as paying the highest road tax on a car in the world , motorists ripped off by corrupt politicians.
@Denis McClean: best of luck Ireland (huge producer of carbon ha ha ha) you are being screwed by government tax, blaming a country the same size as Lake Superior Canada. In prospective Ireland’s carbons omissions are equal to a slow day in New York City ….just saying
What about the Billions in tax Apple owe? Surely they would help but oh no you don’t want to take it from them…
@Grebo Leonardo: How can they take it when it’s not theirs to take?
@Grebo Leonardo: That money is being held in an escrow fund at negative rates of interest and we are being charged big money to have it “ managed”. If it drags on long enough it will eventually disappear due to these “ management” costs but if Apple are successful in their claim to have it returned to them the Irish taxpayer will have to cough up the money.
Can’t wait until Brexit stops been the architect for really bad governance. Everything filters down to brexit. What are our clowns honing to blame when it eventually hapoens
The reason for no kites this year is simply to ram these scam , I mean save the planet taxes through. Sad those whom vote FFG…
And still ff won’t call for a genarel election
@Fran O’Keeffe: with the ongoing chaos in Westminster over Brexit last thing Ireland needs is instability. Glad to see FF continuing to put national interest first. Wont be long into new year before we do get a general election here and can so replace FG
Any excuse will do them to screw the poorest of society .
Too much spent on spin and varadkar pet projects
They’re not meeting their carbon targets and will be fined.
They’re getting the cash together adding more taxes and hikes to cover the cost of these fines.
It’s annoying AF.
@Peter: dont pay the fines…..we owe 200billion as is ….add it to the bill….
@Pete Lee: thinks it’s at 210 now
@Johnny Comelately: 210 000 000 050
Blah blah blah usc is never going, blah blah blah here’s some carbon tax. Don’t forget to vote us in again next tear.
Immediate carbox tax on fuel Drivers face instant petrol price hike from Budget Day carbon tax
@Jim O Brien – TechBuzz Ireland: I am signing on to the new ‘Walk to work’ scheme at my company.
I will get a year to pay off a new pair of runners that will enable me to jog 30 km’s to work and then another 30 km’s back home. E’fin amazing.
No bus service or train service but no problem bringing a tax to hurt the rural dwellers even more.
@George Vladisavljevic: on the other hand rural dwellers do get cheaper housing and subsidised electrical infrastructure…swings and roundabouts!
In a country where motor tax pays for water infrastructure and doctors, you can bet your last cent that carbon tax will be spent on anything but eliminating itself.
@Denis McClean: they have introduced a stealth carbon tax last week, well in kildare anyway, they (ffg labour) voted for 7.5% increase on local property tax and 5% of that is been given to climate action ireland ie a carbon tax added onto an illegal property tax
@Denis McClean: they have introduced a stealth carbon tax last week, well in kildare anyway, they (ffg labour) voted for 7.5% increase on local property tax and 5% of that is been given to climate action ireland ie a carbon tax added onto an illegal property tax
you can bet tds will get their annual 5-8 grand pay rise one way or another as for everyone outside the top 5% – tough shit paddy , now cough up and move on !.
Absolutely anything to screw the Ms and Mr Taxpayer. Carbon tax inflicted on the commuter, while they have this glorious children’s hospital which will is nothing than a white elephant and don’t get me started on the broadband.
I would love a little pool of money to dip when I overspend at home. Oh wait , it’s call my savings( However small). Probably good I don’t touch it in case there’s some unforeseen emergency. I think I just better not overspend then. What a novel idea.
I am not public service….never have been. But why should unions etc. Listen to the bullshit spoke by TDs etc. Who have credit cards and give themselves pay rises…like charlie haughey and his charvet shirts….its allways bulls wool and the knacker yards for the poor old and sick as long as im allright jack…
50 years of listening to this shite
@Pete Lee: Well he gave free travel to the over 65′s and gave us fuel allowance to the poverty poor. He was a good statesman in many ways, Varadkar’s shirts are 700 euro each from the Copeland shop.
@Aine Power: He didn’t give anything. Its very easy to be generous with other peoples hard earned money and its easier still when doing so helps you buy the support of certain parts of the electorate. Re the public sector, we must remember, dishing out large pay increases to PS workers is not coming from the TDs pocket. Its money taken from the pockets of private sector workers – who fund everything in the state. And private sector workers are not benefiting from the job security, pensions and beneifits afforded to PS workers.
You mean that unsustainable corporate tax take? Politicians politicking..
Honestly look at this government it’s a pantomime seriously you couldn’t write this as a comedy how on earth did they get in
Time to look at the amount of PCP on all the flash cars in the country. Some cough softening is in order I think.
Fine Gael are planning to Build a Liquified Natural Gas terminal in Shannon which will be used to store Fracked gas imported from America.
If this LNG station goes ahead Fine Gael will be locking Ireland into fossil fuels for the foreseable future, the hundreds of millions that the government intend to spend on this project should instead be invested in renewable energies.Talk about hypocrisy.
@Bernard Kavanagh:
It’s Gas isn’t it !!’
Ireland’s carbon footprint is about equal to an elephants far$ in the world’s point of view,
Take a bite from the Apple and we’d all be laughing (excuse the cheesy shyte) and kill the vultures destroying society…..Ireland is heading to a bad bend in a winding road……nothing ever straight with cronies behind the wheel!!!
Robbing Peter to pay Paul and to give T D a raise when the rest of us poor idiots take it all we bailed out this country to save it but since then it’s spend spend to get votes when are we going to learn
Such a Dick, another Finance minister who rewards the rich and screws the rest of us.
When the Govt talks to itself .
have your say