Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton arrives at the Quad Cities International Airport in Moline, Ill., Monday, Sept. 5, 2016, after traveling from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
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Clinton compared Russian activity to the bungled 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee’s office in the Watergate hotel, which led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon in 1974.
Videgaray, one of President Enrique Peña Nieto’s closest allies and the architect of his structural reform programme, has been in the firing line after last week’s disastrous meeting between the president and Republican US candidate Donald Trump, which was reportedly his idea and which he has defended to the hilt, writes Jude Webber.
“He came out saying one thing and the Mexican president contradicted him nearly immediately”, said Clinton, referring to Trump’s claim that he did not discuss payment for the border wall, a centerpiece of his presidential campaign. It’s been the mission of his whole campaign from the very first day – to demonize immigrants, to call Mexicans rapists and killers, to do everything he could to stir up all kinds of bad feelings about hard-working people.
“He didn’t raise it so he did choke”, she said. “Donald Trump does not have the temperament to be our commander-in-chief”. She called Trump’s quick stop in Mexico City “an embarrassing worldwide incident”. Just look at what happened.
With economic growth sluggish, the president’s popularity at record lows and tensions palpable between the finance minister and other Cabinet members, rumors of Videgaray’s impending departure had bubbled under the surface in Mexico for months. “She chokes”, Mr. Trump said in an interview that aired Tuesday on ABC’s “Good Morning America“. “So not only did Trump mess up his first worldwide gig, he choked”. When you see that he can’t even go to a foreign country without getting into a public feud with the president, I think the answer is clear.
“It was discussed that it wouldn’t be discussed, but they know my stance and I know their stance”, he said.
Senior diplomats said Videgaray had been instrumental in arranging the Trump visit, in which the government had hoped to impress upon Trump the need to moderate his tone and reconsider his more divisive campaign proposals.
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“The fact is that Mexico will pay for the wall”.
