Mexico on Reimbursing Trump for Wall: Um, Nope

Peña Nieto is willing to work with US on other issues, but says 'of course' it won't pay
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 12, 2017 8:33 AM CST
Mexico on Reimbursing Trump for Wall: Um, Nope
Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto speaks during a press conference in Mexico City on Jan. 4, 2017.   (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

At his press conference Wednesday, Donald Trump revisited his new plan to get Congress to pay for his border wall and get Mexico to reimburse the American taxpayer, noting, "What's the difference? I want to get the wall started." And even as the Mexican peso simultaneously hit historic lows in response, President Enrique Peña Nieto held fast in his refusal to pony up, reports Politico, saying, "It is evident that we have some differences with the new government of the United States, like the topic of the wall, that Mexico of course will not pay." In speech at the National Palace, he added that he hoped the two countries could work amicably together on other issues, CNN reports.

Peña Nieto's predecessor, former President Vicente Fox, has been decidedly less gentle on the issue, tweeting Wednesday that, "Neither today, nor tomorrow nor never Mexico will pay for that stupid wall. If Trump wants a monument to his ego, let him pay for it!!" Fox has previously tweeted that "I am not paying for that f---en wall," also calling it a "racist monument." As for Trump, when asked how he planned on getting a defiant Mexico to pay up, Trump didn't offer specifics, but he promised negotiations would "start immediately after we get to office." (More Enrique Pena Nieto stories.)

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