‘I have had it’: Trump’s heated conversations with Mexico, Australia leaders revealed in transcripts
Despite President Trump’s repeated promises that Mexico would pay for a wall along the United States’ southern border, the president recognized early on that following through on that promise would be difficult, and urged Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto to stop publicly opposing Trump’s statements, according to a report.
“You cannot say that to the press,” Trump told Pena Nieto in a Jan. 27 call, after the Mexican president reaffirmed that Mexico would not pay for a border wall. “The press is going to go with that, and I cannot live with that. You cannot say that to the press because I cannot negotiate under those circumstances.”
Days after his inauguration, Trump placed calls to a number of world leaders, including Pena Nieto and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
According to reports, Trump’s conversation with Turnbull was especially contentious.
The White House released brief readouts of the conversations after they occurred, and some details were leaked to the press, but transcripts of the conversations were marked classified by retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, the chief of staff on the National Security Council.
On Thursday, the Washington Post published the transcripts of Trump’s phone calls with Pena Nieto and Turnbull.
In Trump’s call with Pena Nieto, Trump tried to persuade his Mexican counterpart to stop talking about how the border wall would be funded.
……
Eventually, though, he conceded the two should stop talking about the wall altogether.
…..
Trump’s conversation with Turnbull, however, was more aggressive. Toward the end of their conversation, Trump conceded that phone calls he had with other world leaders — including Russian President Vladimir Putin — were more pleasant than his discussion with Turnbull.
“I have had it. I have been making these calls all day and this is the most unpleasant call all day,” Trump told Turnbull as the two wrapped up their conversation. “Putin was a pleasant call. This is ridiculous.”
According to the transcript, Trump and Turnbull had a heated exchange over an agreement made by former President Barack Obama for the U.S. to accept refugees from Australian detention centers.
“I hate taking these people,” Trump told Turnbull. “I guarantee you they are bad. That is why they are in prison right now. They are not going to be wonderful people who go on to work for the local milk people.”
Turnbull tried to tell the president the refugees had not been accused of crimes, but were denied entry into Australia due to the country’s policy discouraging human smuggling, and attempted to tap into Trump’s experience in deal-making.
“There is nothing more important in business or politics than a deal is a deal,” Turnbull said. “You can certainly say that it was not a deal that you would have done, but you are going to stick with it.”
Trump, according to the Post, became angrier, and said one of refugees let into the U.S. could “become the Boston bomber in five years.”
“I think it is a horrible deal, a disgusting deal that I would have never made,” Trump said. “As far as I am concerned, that is enough, Malcolm. I have had it.”
- Discussion
-
Leaked transcripts reveal blunt conversations between Trump and leaders of Mexico and Australia https://t.co/hPNtGwjHaq pic.twitter.com/AlQ1GCqRLp
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) August 3, 2017
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.