In a befuddling series of tweets Friday, President Trump appeared to threaten both the Democrats and U.S. trade relations with Mexico when he suggested he would close the southern border.
While threatening “obstructionist Democrats” and harping on the loss of “soooo much money” each year to Mexico over NAFTA, Trump said he would be in favor of a southern border shutdown, both as a means to halt immigration and cut off trade ties with Mexico.
“Bring our car industry back into the United States where it belongs. Go back to pre-NAFTA, before so many of our companies and jobs were so foolishly sent to Mexico,” he said, creating a mystifying link between the government shutdown he created over wall funding and the halt of commerce with one of the U.S.’s closest trade allies.
In his Friday tweet storm, Trump also gave Democrats an ultimatum about the wall; declared the U.S. is cutting off aid to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador; and made baseless claims about a new “caravan forming in Honduras.”
We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with. Hard to believe there was a Congress & President who would approve!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2018
….The United States looses soooo much money on Trade with Mexico under NAFTA, over 75 Billion Dollars a year (not including Drug Money which would be many times that amount), that I would consider closing the Southern Border a “profit making operation.” We build a Wall or…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2018
…..close the Southern Border. Bring our car industry back into the United States where it belongs. Go back to pre-NAFTA, before so many of our companies and jobs were so foolishly sent to Mexico. Either we build (finish) the Wall or we close the Border……
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2018
…..Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are doing nothing for the United States but taking our money. Word is that a new Caravan is forming in Honduras and they are doing nothing about it. We will be cutting off all aid to these 3 countries – taking advantage of U.S. for years!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2018
Trump appears to have been influenced by uber-conservative members of the media when he backtracked on his support for a government funding deal last week and propelled the federal government into shutdown mode just days before Christmas. Since then, chances of a reopening before the new Congress is seated are grim, according to reports that suggest Trump is not even speaking with Congressional leaders.
