Trump Threatens to Cancel Meeting with Mexico, Mexico Backs Out

President Donald Trump is pushing to keep his promise that Mexico will be paying for the border wall.

On Thursday, he said he will cancel his meeting next week with Mexico’s president if the country still refuses to pay for the wall. Mexico responded by canceling the meeting.

“The U.S. 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. If Mexico is unwilling to pay for the badly needed wall, then it would be better to cancel the upcoming meeting,” tweeted Trump Thursday Morning.

Trump now wants a 20% tax on Mexican products to pay for the wall.

The day prior, Trump had directed officials to begin planning and budgeting for the design and construction of the wall along the Southern border.

“A nation without borders is not a nation,” said Trump at a visit to the Department of Homeland Security Wednesday. “Beginning today, the United States of America gets back control of its borders.” 

But, again Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto is showing opposition to Trump’s recent statements.

“I regret and reject the decision of the U.S. to build the wall,” said Pena Nieto on Wednesday in a video statement on Twitter. “Mexico does not believe in walls. I’ve said time and again: Mexico will not pay for any wall.”

He did not address if he will still be attending the White House summit with Trump on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.  

But, there have been rumors that Pena Nieto may decide to cancel the visit on his own.

“A senior official anonymously told The Associated Press the Pena Nieto administration “is considering” canceling the Mexican president’s visit to the U.S on January 31. ‘That’s what I can tell you,’’ writes The Huffington Post.

Author’s note: We are really not surprised that Pena Nieto is pushing back since he really has no other choice. But, it’s in the country’s best interest to try to appease Trump in some way. America has the upper hand. We can afford a trade war, while Mexico cannot. Backing out of the NAFTA would be a minor thing for us, but it would be a massive problem for Mexico and the industries along the border. Mexico already has a problem with drug cartels and a major recession would only plunge Mexico into anarchy.

Not to mention, Mexico does not approve of the wall because Mexicans who illegally cross the border send money back to their families.  This is estimated to be a whopping $25 billion, about 2% of their GDP.