Is Donald Trump’s Mexico tariffs threat/deal a great big farce? Take a guess, Yes or No and, here’s a hint: the answer is NOT No!
Politics
Trump threatened Mexico with huge tariffs unless they succumbed to his plan to help halt undocumented immigration into the US. Surprisingly, Republican lawmakers immediately announced they would block any plans Trump was concocting to raise tariffs against Mexican goods. Then, late last week and to great fanfare, Trump announced victory and that he had succeeded in finally strongarming Mexico into an agreement. The only problem is, Trump’s self-pat on the back was all fake news since Mexico agreed to the immigration plan long before Trump threatened the Mexico tariffs.
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Talks between the Mexican foreign minister and US State Department officials lasted for more than 11 hours last Friday and ended with Trump simply accepting the already existing agreement. However, what ‘The Donald’ didn’t factor in prior to his public victory lap is that the Department of Homeland Security had already announced a deal. In fact, The New York Times reported that former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and Mexican interior secretary Olga Sanchez confirmed the deal during a March 26th news release, which is more than 2 months BEFORE Trump pretended he had single-handedly made Mexico fold.
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I am pleased to inform you that The United States of America has reached a signed agreement with Mexico. The Tariffs scheduled to be implemented by the U.S. on Monday, against Mexico, are hereby indefinitely suspended. Mexico, in turn, has agreed to take strong measures to….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 8, 2019
The deal made prior to Trump’s Mexico tariffs threat included a pledge from the Mexican government to deploy their National Guard primarily along the southern border, as well as to keep asylum seekers in Mexico while their claims are processed.
Not surprisingly, Donald Trump took to Twitter on Sunday morning in a rant to dispute claims from The Times that his Mexico tariffs threat was a sham since the deal had already been in place.
According to Trump, his administration had been working toward some aspects of the deal “for a long time,” but said they “were not able to get them, or get them in full, until our signed agreement with Mexico.” He then added that additional parts of the deal were not announced Friday but will be rolled out “at the appropriate time.” No one was clear what Trump was referring to in his tweets.
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Another false report in the Failing @nytimes. We have been trying to get some of these Border Actions for a long time, as have other administrations, but were not able to get them, or get them in full, until our signed agreement with Mexico. Additionally, and for many years,….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2019
…..not mentioned in yesterday press release, one in particular, were agreed upon. That will be announced at the appropriate time. There is now going to be great cooperation between Mexico & the USA, something that didn’t exist for decades. However, if for some unknown reason…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2019
…..there is not, we can always go back to our previous, very profitable, position of Tariffs – But I don’t believe that will be necessary. The Failing @nytimes, & ratings challenged @CNN, will do anything possible to see our Country fail! They are truly The Enemy of the People!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2019
Late Sunday, acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan attempted to help Trump save face by telling Fox News’ Bret Baier that “all of (Friday’s deal) is new,” and that although Mexico has deployed several hundred troops to its border before, the new deal is “more than a tenfold commitment to increase their security.”
McAleenan added that Trump’s Mexico tariff threat is what helped get the country “to the table” to negotiate, saying that Mexican officials “arrived within hours” to negotiate with the US after the threats were made — which led to Friday’s deal.
For his constant pattern of unnecessary, ego-boosting lies and growing reputation as “The boy who cried wolf,” Donald Trump hasn’t a chance in hell of convincing most Americans that he bested Mexico.
(Sigh)….By now, even most Trump voters recognize that Lying comes as natural to Trump as breathing. They know he’s done little more than con people, and peddle BS and outright lies most of his sorry life.
That’s who he is. And regarding this farce of a Mexico tariff threat/”deal,” DJ is absolutely right:
“Donald Trump hasn’t a chance in hell of convincing most Americans that he bested Mexico.”
Full Stop.