# Trump to visit Mexico's President today **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 31, 2016, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-visit-mexicos-president-today/764552 "2016-08-31T08:59:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-visit-mexicos-president-today/764552/61 "2016-08-31T19:07:07Z")
The Donald is like the socially awkward person who you tell “let’s have coffee some day” and knock at your door unannounced the next Saturday at 8AM. Judging by my Mexican friends’ reaction (the ones from Mexico) this will hurt Peña Nieto. I am guessing that after this there’ll be no more “let’s have coffee some day” coming from any other country. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-visit-mexicos-president-today/764552/62 "2016-08-31T19:08:48Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Our thoughts and prayers are with the Mexican people today. My thoughts are with the various drug cartels. Hoping they’re in the mood for kidnapping and have plenty of lye and acid laying around for disposal. Okay, I’m evil. But they can at least pickpocket him! ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-visit-mexicos-president-today/764552/63 "2016-08-31T19:15:47Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > My thoughts are with the various drug cartels. Hoping they’re in the mood for kidnapping and have plenty of lye and acid laying around for disposal. > > Okay, I’m evil. But they can at least pickpocket him! As much as I’d never want to see a presidential candidate hurt, I’d really be satisfied if he returned with a raging case of Montezuma’s Revenge or the Aztec Two Step. ETA: Shit… > **[Donald Trump’s Plane Removed From Online Flight Tracker](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/donald-trumps-plane-removed-online-819453/)** > > Real-time web tracking of Donald Trump's 757 aircraft has ended, possibly as a security precaution. You can’t track Trump’s plane on line now. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-visit-mexicos-president-today/764552/64 "2016-08-31T19:20:39Z")
“…Now, if you see Saint Annie, please tell her thanks a lot I cannot move, my fingers are all in a knot I don’t have the strength to get up and take another shot And my best friend, my doctor, won’t even say what it is I’ve got…” _Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues_ ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-visit-mexicos-president-today/764552/65 "2016-08-31T19:25:27Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > “…Now, if you see Saint Annie, please tell her thanks a lot > I cannot move, my fingers are all in a knot > I don’t have the strength to get up and take another shot > And my best friend, my doctor, won’t even say what it is I’ve got…” > > _Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues_ Well, he won’t be in Juarez, it probably won’t be raining, and it definitely isn’t Easter time. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-visit-mexicos-president-today/764552/66 "2016-08-31T19:25:32Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > ETA: Shit… > [Donald Trump's Plane Removed From Online Flight Tracker](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/donald-trumps-plane-removed-online-819453) > > You can’t track Trump’s plane on line now. Dammit! Now I have to go and put away all my ICBMs and launching system. Thanks, Obama! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-visit-mexicos-president-today/764552/67 "2016-08-31T19:33:54Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > No way. He’s supposed to be a great deal maker. The best. Yet, on his first meeting with the Mexican president the central plank of his campaign will be shot down in flames. Mexico will never pay for any wall under any circumstances, and Trump can go to Hell. How will that boost his poll numbers? Easy. Trump will just point out he’s not President yet. He can say that as a candidate, he went down there to look the situation over. Then he can say that when he’s elected he’ll go on to fix the problem. As a candidate, he can promise everything while not being held accountable for delivering anything. It’s a win-win situation for him. The only potential problem Trump faces is, as usual, himself. He could overplay his hand and say something stupid. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-visit-mexicos-president-today/764552/68 "2016-08-31T19:39:16Z")
He is currently there, supposedly a statement is being made while I type this. Trump demurred to the Mexican government’s advice as to how to stage their “presser”. First round of negotiations: LOST. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-visit-mexicos-president-today/764552/69 "2016-08-31T19:40:27Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Well, he won’t be in Juarez, it probably won’t be raining, and it definitely isn’t Easter time. And Bob Dylan has more money. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-visit-mexicos-president-today/764552/70 "2016-08-31T19:49:22Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > We’ll see. I highly doubt that we will see significant movement in the polls because of this highly desperate move. The fact that Trump can lie about it isn’t going to move the needle above the ~38% he’s currently, and has been, polling at. > > And difficult for Clinton to respond? Really? The ex Secretary of State, with her old boss still in the White House and still on her side… she’s going to find it difficult to respond? > > Again, I doubt that. _The response has already begun_ and it’s making its way through channels. Obama to Mexican Ambassador: “You make sure that Nieto understands that Trump is a private American citizen, with no backing of this administration, so he can feel free to be as rough on him in a diplomatic fashion as he cares to be. Also, those concessions he wants from us? Tell him…” > > Trump isn’t going to come out of this looking like a President, he’s going to come out of it looking like an idiot. And it’s irrelevant if his supporters believe his lies or not - they are nowhere near numerous enough to win this election as poll, after poll, after poll, states. I disagree. Trump can cast this as a confrontation of Trump vs Mexico. So he’s going in as David fighting Goliath except with no actual danger. And as a candidate, he’s not expected to actually achieve anything so he can’t fail. And how can Clinton and Obama respond? If they do nothing, they cede media attention to Trump. If they offer Trump any support, they give him credibility. If they do anything to undermine Trump, they’re taking Mexico’s side: Trump will be able to say he was fighting for American interests while Clinton and Obama were fighting against them. If Clinton goes off on a foreign mission of her own, it’ll look like she’s just copying Trump. No, I have to give Trump credit. This was a smart move for him. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-visit-mexicos-president-today/764552/71 "2016-08-31T19:53:38Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > My thoughts are with the various drug cartels. Hoping they’re in the mood for kidnapping and have plenty of lye and acid laying around for disposal. > > Okay, I’m evil. But they can at least pickpocket him! Trump gets killed in Mexico, the Republicans get to nominate some more normal candidate to run against a widely disliked Clinton, plus the anti-immigrant position gets a boost from the assassination. You sound like a Republican, dreaming pleasant dreams. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-visit-mexicos-president-today/764552/72 "2016-08-31T20:12:43Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I disagree. Trump can cast this as a confrontation of Trump vs Mexico. So he’s going in as David fighting Goliath except with no actual danger. And as a candidate, he’s not expected to actually achieve anything so he can’t fail. Trump has often portrayed himself as an outsider, but never as David fighting Goliath, and I can’t imagine him ever doing that. I just can’t imagine this helping him much, at best it will prompt no change. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-visit-mexicos-president-today/764552/73 "2016-08-31T20:17:49Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > No, I have to give Trump credit. This was a smart move for him. \ We will see… \ ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-visit-mexicos-president-today/764552/74 "2016-08-31T20:20:24Z")
Sounds like President Pena Nieto wants to sell Trump on building a wall on _Mexico’s_ southern border. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-visit-mexicos-president-today/764552/75 "2016-08-31T20:33:35Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > Trump gets killed in Mexico, the Republicans get to nominate some more normal candidate to run against a widely disliked Clinton, plus the anti-immigrant position gets a boost from the assassination. > > You sound like a Republican, dreaming pleasant dreams. Honestly, I’d be willing to take the chance of a Republican victory as long as it didn’t involve Trump. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-visit-mexicos-president-today/764552/76 "2016-08-31T20:34:10Z")
So Nieto extended the invitation to Trump and Clinton, Trump hopped on a plane and met him, while Clinton hasn’t accepted his offer and is sitting back in the US criticizing Trump for going and saying “relationships take a long time.” I don’t think Clinton won this one. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-visit-mexicos-president-today/764552/77 "2016-08-31T20:36:51Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > I don’t think Clinton won this one. \ We will see… \ ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Krupe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Leo\_Krupe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Krupe)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-visit-mexicos-president-today/764552/78 "2016-08-31T20:38:23Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I disagree. Trump can cast this as a confrontation of Trump vs Mexico. So he’s going in as David fighting Goliath except with no actual danger. And as a candidate, he’s not expected to actually achieve anything so he can’t fail. > > And how can Clinton and Obama respond? If they do nothing, they cede media attention to Trump. If they offer Trump any support, they give him credibility. If they do anything to undermine Trump, they’re taking Mexico’s side: Trump will be able to say he was fighting for American interests while Clinton and Obama were fighting against them. If Clinton goes off on a foreign mission of her own, it’ll look like she’s just copying Trump. > > No, I have to give Trump credit. This was a smart move for him. The situation’s a little different, but the reasoning is the same: Trump beats the Democrat to the photo op. Just like the flooding in Louisiana. I don’t think that helped Trump much at all, and neither will this. In fact, this is a combination of his LA flood trip and his not-too-distantly-past trip to Scotland, which didn’t help very much, either. I think from the outer world’s POV, it’s as much of a question of why is he making these trips, because not much seems to come from them. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-visit-mexicos-president-today/764552/79 "2016-08-31T20:38:23Z")
Whole bunch of nothing. This may shift the polling a point or two for a week, but any substantive shift - not bloody likely. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-visit-mexicos-president-today/764552/80 "2016-08-31T20:38:57Z")
When asked “Who pays for the wall?” Trump’s response: “We didn’t discuss that.” Yup, strong leadership and skillful negotiations on display there! :rolleyes: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-visit-mexicos-president-today/764552.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-to-visit-mexicos-president-today/764552.md?page=5)