ABC's Jonathan Karl: Trump “Ditched A Year's Worth Of Tough Talk” During Meeting With Mexican President
Written by Media Matters Staff
Published
From the August 31 edition of ABC's World News Tonight with David Muir:
JONATHAN KARL: Today, standing next to the president of Mexico, Donald Trump ditched a year's worth of tough talk.
DONALD TRUMP: This has been a tremendous honor and I call you a friend.
KARL: That's a huge departure from day one of his campaign.
TRUMP: They are not our friend, believe me.
KARL: Accusing Mexico of funneling undocumented immigrants across the border.
TRUMP: When Mexico sends its people, they aren't sending their best. They are bringing drugs, they're bringing crime. They're rapists.
KARL: Today, I asked Trump if he stands by those words. Mr. Trump, over the course of this campaign, do you regret some of the things that you have said about Mexico or Mexicans and want to take them back?
TRUMP: A lot of the things I said are very strong, but we have to be strong. We have to say what's happening. There is crime, as you know, there is a lot of crime and there are lot of problems. I really believe that the president and I will solve those problems.
KARL: And what of Trump's signature campaign promise? We all know by now who Trump wants to foot the bill.
[...]
KARL: Today I asked both men about that. And the wall? Is it a non-starter? Is there any chance Mexico pays for the wall?
TRUMP: We did discuss the wall, we did not discuss payment of the wall. That'll be for a later date. This was a very preliminary meeting.
KARL: President Enrique Peña Nieto extended the invitation to visit Mexico to Trump and Hillary Clinton just last Friday. Trump's decision to accept was a total surprise. When we touched down, his schedule was still up in the air. It's been a whirlwind. We didn't know until about midnight last night that Donald Trump would bring the presidential campaign here to Mexico City. Trump's harsh words have made him a pariah here in Mexico. Over the past year, protesters have burned him in effigy. Trump pinatas doing a brisk business. Peña Nieto himself has compared Trump to Hitler and Mussolini. But today, he soft-pedaled too, emphasizing that Mexico will cooperate with whomever wins the election.
Previously:
Media Figures Mock Trump For Backing Off Previous Demand Mexico Pay For Border Wall