MexicoMexican president compares Trump's “strident” rhetoric to Hitler and Mussolini

Published 9 March 2016

Mexico’s President Enrique Peña Nieto has said that comments by Donald Trump have damaged U.S.-Mexico relationships, and compared Trump’s “strident” tone to those of fascist leaders Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. In his most direct comments so far on Trump’s assertions, Peña Nieto completely rejected the idea that Mexico would cover the cost of Trump’s proposed border wall.

Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto (l.) with U.S. president Barack Obama // Source: commons.wikimedia.org

Mexico’s President Enrique Peña Nieto has said that comments by Donald Trump have damaged U.S.-Mexico relationships, and compared Trump’s “strident” tone to those of fascist leaders Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.

The BBC reports that in his most direct comments so far on Trump’s assertions, Peña Nieto completely rejected the idea that Mexico would cover the cost of Trump’s proposed border wall.

“There have been episodes in human history, unfortunately, where these expressions of strident rhetoric have led to very ominous situations,” Peña Nieto told the Mexican newspaper Excélsior in an interview published on Monday. “That’s how Mussolini got in, that’s how Hitler got in: they took advantage of a situation, a problem perhaps, which humanity was going through at the time, after an economic crisis.”

The BBC notes that Peña Nieto’s pronouncements are the most forceful so far against Trump, whose rise to the top of the Republican primary races has caused anxiety in Mexico.

When asked whether there was there was a scenario in which Mexico would pay for a border wall, he responded: “There is no scenario.”

In another interview published on Monday with the newspaper El Universal, Peña Nieto was asked whether he “worried” about Trump making it to the White House. He responded, “I don’t think so,” then continued: “Those that insult or end up speaking badly of Mexico do so because they don’t know Mexico. Those that speak badly of Mexicans do so because they don’t know Mexicans.”

Analysts say Peña Nieto is in a tough spot with any response to Trump, which Trump will likely use for yet another attack on Mexico, and may be construed as an intervention by Mexico in U.S. politics.

Peña Nieto emphasized that his government was not meddling in internal U.S. politics. “Mexico, I repeat, and my government, will be absolutely a witness and respectful of the process that the United States has,” he said.