Mexico Won’t Pay For Trump’s Wall But Pledges To Help Harvey Relief Efforts

At a rally in Phoenix last Tuesday, President Trump reaffirmed his pledge to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border while threatening Congress at the same time. “If we have to close down our government,” Trump said, “we’re building that wall.” While Trump’s bellicose promises may excite his dwindling base, most Americans aren’t buying it. A May poll from Fox News found that only 36% of Americans think the wall will be built and only 25% believe Mexico will pay for it.

Trump’s attempt to score funding for a wall that would cost tens of billions of dollars faces roadblocks in Congress from both Democrats and Republicans. The House recently approved $1.6 billion toward wall funding, but the measure has stalled in the Senate. On Sunday morning, Trump once again stressed the importance of building his racist pipe dream.

Trump’s tweet prompted a strong response from Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “As the Mexican government has always stated, our country will not pay, under any circumstances, for a wall or physical barrier built on U.S. territory along the Mexican border,” the ministry said. “This statement is not part of a Mexican negotiating strategy, but rather a principle of national sovereignty and dignity.”

Trump’s aggressive attitude toward America’s neighbor to the south hasn’t stopped the Mexican government from trying to remain a friend to the American people. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs pledged to assist the U.S. with Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. “The Mexican government takes this opportunity to express its full solidarity with the people and government of the United States as a result of the damages caused by Hurricane Harvey in Texas, and expresses that it has offered to provide help and cooperation to the US government in order to deal with the impact of this natural disaster —as good neighbors should always do in trying times.”