Trump began his campaign by calling Mexican immigrants “rapists.” When faced with backlash for his countless anti-Latino comments, he tweeted a tone-deaf, offensive picture of himself eating a taco bowl. Trump has treated Mexico, one of America’s allies, as an enemy, and has even said he wants “nothing to do with Mexico.”
This meeting could be quite uncomfortable. Beyond these offensive comments, Trump probably needs to ask about his plan for the Mexican government to pay for the wall he wants to build. We’ll see how that goes.
Donald Trump: “Happy #CincoDeMayo! The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill. I love Hispanics!” [Donald Trump, Twitter, 5/5/16]
Donald Trump: “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. […] They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.” “Thank you. It’s true, and these are the best and the finest. When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.” [Donald Trump, Presidential Announcement speech, 6/16/15]
Donald Trump: “Everything’s coming across the border. The illegals, the cars, the whole thing. It’s like a big mess, blegh. It’s like vomit.” “Everything’s coming across the border. The illegals, the cars, the whole thing. It’s like a big mess, blegh. It’s like vomit.” [Donald Trump remarks to Texas Patriots PAC, 4/30/15]
Donald Trump: “People are coming through the border that are really bad hombres and bad dudes and these are people that Mexico doesn’t want.” “You look at beautiful Kate [Steinle] and what’s going on like in San Francisco and Jamiel [Shaw] and so many people being killed and hurt badly. And people are coming through the border that are really bad hombres and bad dudes and these are people that Mexico doesn’t want and other countries where they come from, they don’t want them.” [Daily Ledger, 8/5/15]
Donald Trump said Mexico was sending criminals to the US in the same way Fidel Castro “opened up his prisons and sent his prisoners to the United States.” “Trump also tried to make a historical comparison, noting, ‘[Former Cuban leader Fidel] Castro, many years ago, opened up his prisons and sent his prisoners to the United States,’ which the candidate called a disaster for the America, before adding, ‘In a much more sophisticated manner, Mexico is [now] doing the same thing.’” [New York Magazine, 6/12/15]
Donald Trump on Mexican immigration: “They send the bad ones over because they don’t want to pay for them.” “Our leaders are stupid, our politicians are stupid, and the Mexican government is much smarter, much sharper, much more cunning, and they send the bad ones over because they don’t want to pay for them, they don’t want to take care of them. Why should they, when the stupid leaders of the United States will do it for them? And that’s what’s happening, whether you like it or not.” [Donald Trump, Fox News Presidential Debate, Cleveland, OH, 8/6/15]
Donald Trump: “You have illegal immigrants pouring through the country. They’re incarcerated, many of them are in jails. You have hundreds of thousands of people going to state and federal penitentiaries.” “DONALD TRUMP: No, I don’t apologize. Everybody knows what’s going on. You have illegal immigrants pouring through the country. They’re incarcerated, many of them are in jails. You have hundreds of thousands of people going to state and federal penitentiaries. That just came out in Homeland Security Report. You just have to take a look at them. The crime is rampant all over the place. You have the illegals just literally pouring — and not from Mexico only, they’re coming from all over the world. You have them all over South America, but they’re coming from the Middle East.” [Real Clear Politics, 7/1/15]
Donald Trump on the PGA tour happening in Mexico: “I hope they have kidnapping insurance.” TRUMP: “And I’m going to bring jobs back from Mexico and China and all these places. I mean, I just heard that the PGA tour is taking their tournament out of Miami and moving it to Mexico, as an example.” HANNITY: “Good grief.” TRUMP: “They’re taking it — it’s at Doral. It’s at — they use one of my places. They’re moving their tournament. It’s the Cadillac World Golf Championship. And Cadillac’s been a great sponsor, but they’re moving it to Mexico. They’re moving it to Mexico City, which, by the way, I hope they have kidnapping insurance. But they’re moving it to Mexico City.” [Fox News, 5/31/16]
Donald Trump, pointing to a plane flying above his campaign event: “That could be a Mexican plane up there — they’re getting ready to attack.” [Donald Trump, Manchester, NH, 6/30/16]
Donald Trump said that the border was “like an open sieve” that was allowing in “people that are sick and with contagious diseases, like tuberculosis.” VAN SUSTEREN: “Listen, I want to ask you about some things about President Obama’s request, $3.7 billion for the border. What do you think about that?” TRUMP: “I think the whole thing is ridiculous. It’s like an open sieve. People are just pouring in, all sorts of people. People that are sick and with contagious diseases, like tuberculosis, which is a real disaster. And what we are doing with this country is unthinkable. So, they are going there, and it’s a very — it’s a big humanitarian problem. There is no question about it. But they are all being dropped there because we are an open fence. We are an open door. We should just automatically say we have an open-door policy. Because, what’s going on is absolutely insane for this country. And, we owe, as you know, $17 trillion, Greta, $17 trillion. We can’t afford this. And they are only there because of the fact that we are saying, welcome, come in, and it’s not a good situation.” [Fox News On the Record, 7/11/14]
Donald Trump: “The Mexicans are the new China.” O’REILLY: “OK. I actually laughed when you said you’re going to build this giant wall from San Diego to Brownsville and the Mexicans are going to pay for it. The Mexicans aren’t going to pay for the wall.” TRUMP: “Let me tell you. The Mexicans are the new China. What they are doing to this country –” [Fox News’ O’Reilly Factor, 6/16/15]
Donald Trump: “Don’t do business with Mexico!” “I have a lawsuit in Mexico’s corrupt court system that I won but so far can’t collect. Don’t do business with Mexico!” [Donald Trump, Twitter, 2/24/15]
Donald Trump: “The Mexican legal system is corrupt, as is much of Mexico.” “The Mexican legal system is corrupt, as is much of Mexico. Pay me the money that is owed me now – and stop sending criminals over our border.” [Donald Trump, Twitter, 2/24/15]
Donald Trump: “Mexico’s totally corrupt gov’t looks horrible with El Chapo’s escape—totally corrupt. U.S. paid them $3 billion.” [Donald Trump, Twitter, 7/13/15]
Donald Trump: “Mexico is not our friend.” “They will pay for the wall. And the wall will go up and Mexico will start behaving. Mexico is not our friend.” [Fox News, 6/16/15]
Donald Trump: “Rodolfo Rosas Moya and his pals in Mexico owe me a lot of money. Disgusting & slow Mexico court system. Mexico is not a U.S. friend.” [Donald Trump, Twitter, 4/16/15]
Donald Trump: “They [Mexico] treat us like garbage at the border. They laugh at us.” “Two weeks ago, front page of the Wall Street Journal, big story on Mexico taking a tremendous — a billion-dollar car plant out of Tennessee. It was going to go to Tennessee, big German company. Was going to go to Tennessee, was all set. And then out of the blue, Mexico swiped it. They took it. They gave them all sorts of things. And now it’s being built in Mexico. More people employed. And then they treat us like garbage at the border. They laugh at us. They laugh at us.” [Trump remarks, FITN Republican Leadership Summit, 4/18/15]
Donald Trump appeared to indicate he could get congressional approval for “destroying Mexico.” TRUMP: They charge us tariffs. We don’t charge them because we’re stupid. They charge us. And the largest bank in the world is right under this floor. O’REILLY: Now you realize Congress is going to have to ok all this. They’re going to have to ok you destroying Mexico.They’re going to have to ok you for the tariff on China. TRUMP: Bill. O’REILLY: And you really think you’re going to get it through? TRUMP: Absolutely. I’ve been dealing with politicians all my life.” [Fox News, 6/17/15]
Donald Trump: “I want nothing to do with Mexico other than to build an impenetrable WALL.” “Mexico’s court system corrupt. I want nothing to do with Mexico other than to build an impenetrable WALL and stop them from ripping off U.S.” [Donald Trump, Twitter, 3/5/15]
Donald Trump: “Build a massive wall & deduct the costs from Mexican foreign aid.” “The border is wide open for cartels & terrorists. Secure our border now. Build a massive wall & deduct the costs from Mexican foreign aid!” [Donald Trump, Twitter, 3/30/15]
Donald Trump said his border wall with Mexico would help address the heroin epidemic in New Hampshire, because “you know where that stuff comes from.” “‘It’s amazing how many people bring that up,’ Trump answered. ‘I bet half the people have their hands up about heroin.’ Trump responded that he wants to take care of addicts using locally based clinics, and stop the source of the drug by walling off the border. ‘The problem of heroin in New Hampshire is unbelievable, it’s like an unbelievable problem that you have,’ Trump said. ‘And you know where that stuff comes from.’” [CBS, 11/11/15]
Donald Trump: “We have the anchor babies. I was right about the anchor babies. A woman’s pregnant, she steps across the border, she has a baby. Congratulations.” TRUMP: “We have the anchor babies. I was right about the anchor babies. A woman’s pregnant, she steps across the border, she has a baby. Congratulations. We take care of that baby for ninety years, or for however long the baby lives.” [Donald Trump, Town Hall, Nashua, NH, 1/29/16]
Donald Trump: “The illegals coming in are causing tremendous problems. In terms of crime, in terms of murder, in terms of rape.” TRUMP: “The illegals coming in are causing tremendous problems. In terms of crime, in terms of murder, in terms of rape, in terms of…” COOPER: I’m going to give you two studies. Northwestern University, cited by ‘The Washington Post,’ says essentially no correlation between illegal immigration and violent crime. Pew Research Center, using figures from the University of Massachusetts, found, quote, ‘the crime rate among first-generation immigrants, those who came to this country from somewhere else, significantly lower than the overall crime rate and that of the second generation.’” TRUMP: “If somebody is an illegal immigrant, they shouldn’t be here at all. There shouldn’t be any crime. They’re not supposed to be in our country. They’re not supposed to be — and I’m not just talking Mexico. They’re coming — excuse me, they’re coming from all over the world. I’m not just talking about Mexico.” [CNN, 7/8/15]
]]>Mexican political leaders have been remarkably blunt about how they feel about The Donald’s bigotry and insults. In fact, Trump’s bigoted rhetoric has drawn the strong condemnation of Mexico’s three most recent presidents. Peña Nieto has previously compared Trump’s candidacy to the rise of fascist dictators Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler. Peña Nieto’s immediate predecessor Felipe Calderon has gone even further, saying Trump is “exploiting feelings like Hitler did in his time.” And this morning on CNN’s New Day, former Mexican President Vicente Fox said that Trump “is not welcome to Mexico…We don’t like him. We don’t want him. We reject his message.”
And about that wall? Calderon has said, “we are not going to pay any single cent for such a stupid wall!” Fox was even clearer: “I am not going to pay for that [expletive] wall.”
Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto compared Donald Trump to Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler. “Asked about Trump, Peña Nieto complained to the Excelsior newspaper about ‘these strident expressions that seek to propose very simple solutions’ and said that sort of language has led to ‘very fateful scenes in the history of humanity.’ ‘That’s the way Mussolini arrived and the way Hitler arrived,’ he said.” [The Washington Post, 3/7/16; Excelsior, 3/7/16]
Former Mexican President Felipe Calderon compared Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler. “‘This logic of praising the white supremacy is not just anti-immigration,’ Calderon said. ‘He is acting and speaking out against immigrants that have a different skin color than he does, it is frankly racist and [he is] exploiting feelings like Hitler did in his time,’ Calderon said.” [The Guardian, 2/27/16]
Former Mexican President Vicente Fox said Donald Trump reminded him of Adolf Hitler. FOX: “He [Donald Trump] says he’s going to bring back America to what it was? That’s crazy. Never before America, the United States, was so big, so strong, so powerful, so successful as it is today. He’s going to take that nation back to the old days of conflict, war and everything. I mean, he reminds me of Hitler the way he’s starting to speaking.” [CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360, 2/26/16]
Former Mexican President Felipe Calderon: “Mexican people, we are not going to pay any single cent for such a stupid wall!” “‘Mexican people, we are not going to pay any single cent for such a stupid wall! And it’s going to be completely useless,’ Calderon said.” [CNBC, 2/8/16]
Former Mexican President Vicente Fox: “I am not going to pay for that f*cking wall.” Maria Bartiromo: “Which is why he thinks he’s going to be successful and Mexico is going to pay for the wall because he knows Mexico needs the U.S. when it comes to trade just the way the U.S. needs Mexico. Vincente Fox: “I have to say, we are not, I am not going to pay for that f*cking wall. I am not. And he should know that.” [Fox Business’s Mornings with Maria, 2/26/16]
Former Mexican President Vicente Fox: The U.S. “is going to fail if it goes into the hands of a crazy guy.” “Slamming Trump’s anti-immigration rhetoric and his campaign promise of building a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border, Fox urged Hispanics to ‘open their eyes.’ ‘Please, you Hispanics, Latinos in the U.S., open your eyes. It’s not to defend our race. Not to defend our creed. It’s to defend this very same nation that is hosting you. This nation is going to fail if it goes into the hands of a crazy guy,’ warned the former Mexican commander-in-chief.” [Fusion, 2/26/16]
Mexican Foreign Secretary Jose Antonio Meade remarked on ‘all the good things that Secretary Clinton has constructed for Mexico.’ Mexican Foreign Secretary Jose Antonio Meade: ‘Basically we’re wanting in this meeting to convey all the gratitude that we have for all the good things that Secretary Clinton has constructed for Mexico for the relationship. It’s a good time to take stock, it’s a good time to look where we are and what we can construct with her successor. But we basically wanted to thank her for what she has done for Mexico. She is very important and well loved.’ [Remarks with Mexican Foreign Secretary Jose Antonio Meade, state.gov, 1/30/13]
]]>LIE: Laura Ingraham: “Hillary Clinton, she does not believe in borders.”
THE TRUTH: HILLARY CLINTON’S IMMIGRATION PROPOSAL WOULD NOT CREATE OPEN BORDERS
PolitiFact rated the claim that “Hillary Clinton is for open borders” as “False.”
Giuliani said, ‘Hillary Clinton is for open borders.’ Clinton supported a 2013 bill that would have invested billions in border security in addition to a path to citizenship. As a presidential candidate she has called for securing the border and targeting deportation to criminals and those who pose security threats. While her plan would make it easier for many undocumented immigrants to avoid deportation, that’s not the same as allowing a free-for-all at the border and ending enforcement. We rate this claim False.
FactCheck.org called claims Hillary Clinton supports “open borders” wrong.”
Giuliani and Rep. Michael McCaul, the chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, both wrongly claimed that Hillary Clinton supports ‘open borders.’ As we wrote when Trump himself made a similar claim, Clinton supported a Senate immigration bill that would have created a path to citizenship for those in the country illegally, but it also would have included large investments in border security. […] On her campaign website, Clinton says she would ‘focus resources on detaining and deporting those individuals who pose a violent threat to public safety.’ But the site also states that she will ‘uphold the rule of law’ and ‘protect our borders and national security.’ […] At a campaign stop in November, Clinton was even more explicit. ‘We need to secure our borders, I’m for it, I voted for it, I believe in it, and we also need to deal with the families, the workers who are here, who have made contributions, and their children,’ Clinton said in New Hampshire in November. ‘We can do more to secure our border and we should do more to deal with the 11 or 12 million people who are here, get them out of the shadows.’ That’s far short of advocating for open borders.
CNN’s Reality Check called it false that Hillary Clinton advocated for open borders.
‘Hillary Clinton is promising more of the same. Open borders, executive amnesty and the surge of Syrian refugees,’ said Mike McCaul, R-Texas, the chairman of the Homeland Security Commission. Clinton’s platform on immigration incorporates a pathway to citizenship and enforcing immigration laws, including deporting people who ‘pose a violent threat to public safety.’ Clinton said in November that the US needs ‘to secure our borders. I’m for it, I voted for it, I believe in it, and we also need to deal with the families, the workers who are here, who have made contributions, and their children.’ She also said in March that the US has ‘done a really good job securing the border.’ Clinton’s proposed policies and past rhetoric do not reflect open borders. That’s false.
Hillary Clinton: “We need to secure our borders….We can do more to secure our border, and we should do more to deal with the 11 or 12 million people who are here, get them out of the shadows.”
During this campaign, Clinton has called for addressing immigration laws including a path to citizenship within her first 100 days. But she has also called for protecting borders and deporting criminals or those who pose threats. ‘We need to secure our borders. I’m for it, I voted for it, I believe in it, and we also need to deal with the families, the workers who are here, who have made contributions, and their children,’ she said in November. ‘We can do more to secure our border, and we should do more to deal with the 11 or 12 million people who are here, get them out of the shadows.’ This is pretty consistent with her view as a New York senator and secretary of state.
Associated Press: “It’s not true that Clinton’s plan would create open borders.”
THE FACTS: It’s not true that Clinton’s plan would create open borders. Her plan does call for a pathway to citizenship that would allow people currently in the country illegally to stay, but only after going through a series of steps to become a citizen. On enforcement, Clinton has called for focusing on ‘detaining and deporting those individuals who pose a violent threat to public safety,’ but not ending enforcement outright.
The Party of Trump’s vision for America isn’t one of inclusion; it is one of division:
Donald Trump: “No citizenship.” [CNN’s New Day, 7/30/15]
Donald Trump: “In a statement from his campaign, Trump called for a ‘total and complete shutdown’ of Muslims entering the United States until elected leaders can ‘figure out what is going on.’” [The Hill, 12/7/15]
Ted Cruz: Ted Cruz on Donald Trump’s Muslim ban: “I understand why Donald made that proposal.” [Huffington Post,12/15/15]
Ted Cruz: “I think a path to citizenship for those who are here illegally is profoundly unfair.” [Washington Post, 7/21/13]
John Kasich: “I’m not for giving anybody a path to citizenship here.” [Fox News’ Hannity, 12/30/15]
]]>Donald Trump: “No citizenship.” [CNN’s New Day, 7/30/15]
Donald Trump: “In a statement from his campaign, Trump called for a ‘total and complete shutdown’ of Muslims entering the United States until elected leaders can ‘figure out what is going on.’” [The Hill, 12/7/15]
Ted Cruz: “I think a path to citizenship for those who are here illegally is profoundly unfair.” [Washington Post, 7/21/13]
Ted Cruz: Ted Cruz on Donald Trump’s Muslim ban: “I understand why Donald made that proposal.” [Huffington Post, 12/15/15]
John Kasich: “I’m not for giving anybody a path to citizenship here.” [Fox News’ Hannity, 12/30/15]
]]>JORGE RAMOS: Did you support the Minutemen? Did you support the Minutemen as the Secretary said?
BERNIE SANDERS: Of course not. There was a piece of legislation supported by dozens and dozens of members of the House which codified existing legislation.
The fact checkers have weighed in and concluded that Clinton was right:
Instead of denouncing Castro, Sanders “failed to distance himself sharply” from the brutal leader and even attempted to justify the regime by saying, “They have made some good advances in health care” and “made some progress in education.” Sanders’ response showed he is tone-deaf to the concerns of Florida voters, some of whom have fled Cuba because of Castro’s regime.
Latin Times: Democratic Debate: Bernie Sanders Stumbles On Fidel Castro Question In Miami
The Week: How Bernie Sanders stepped in it on Fidel Castro and Cuba
Slate: Bernie Sanders Declines to Disavow Past Praise of Cuban Communism at Debate
The Hill: Sanders defends past praise of Fidel Castro
Talking Points Memo: Moderators Ask Sanders About 1985 Comments Praising Communist Cuba
Business Insider: Bernie Sanders confronted with decades-old clip of him praising Fidel Castro
The Week: Bernie Sanders declines to retract positive statements on Fidel Castro
POLITICO: Sanders responds to 1985 praise of Fidel Castro, Sandinistas
]]>And while Sanders tries to portray himself as a lifelong advocate for immigrants, his voting history paints a very different picture:
2006: Bernie Sanders voted with a majority of GOPers to prohibit the U.S. Border Patrol from telling Mexico about the activities of the Minutemen, a nativist hate group. On June 6, 2006, Bernie Sanders voted for an amendment to the FY 2007 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act which read,“Page 62, after line 17, insert the following: Sec. 537. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to provide a foreign government information relating to the activities of an organized volunteer civilian action group, as defined by DHS OIG-06- 4, operating in the State of California, Texas, New Mexico, or Arizona, unless required by international treaty.” According to the Congressional Record Rep. Kingston said, “I also have an amendment that I have offered, and what my amendment does is it is a payment limitation amendment because our own Border Patrol apparently is tipping off the Mexican government as to where Minutemen are on the Mexico-United States border. Currently, we have 7,000 volunteers in the Minutemen organization. I say volunteers. These are unpaid people who are so outraged with the runaway illegal immigration problem that they have set up posts along the southwest border to help the Border Patrol and the local law enforcement agencies to tell them where the people are coming in and who is coming in. I invite all Members of Congress to go to the southwest border sometime this summer and take a look at how outrageous and how out of control this problem is.” According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, “What follows is a state-by-state list of the 173 groups that constitute the nativist extremist movement, as fissured as it may be. In the case of three major groups — the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, the Minuteman Project, and the Federal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Coalition — acronyms have been added to help identify affiliated chapters that use other names. Groups marked by an asterisk (*) are also listed by the Southern Poverty Law Center as hate groups.” [H.Amdt.971 to H.R.5441, Vote #224, 6/6/06; CQ Almanac, 2006; Congressional Record, 5/25/06; Southern Poverty Law Center, “’Nativist Extremist’ Group List,” (accessed, 12/8/15)]
]]>Donald Trump: “No citizenship.” [CNN’s New Day, 7/30/15]
Ted Cruz: “I think a path to citizenship for those who are here illegally is profoundly unfair.” [Washington Post, 7/21/13]
Marco Rubio ruled out a path to citizenship during his presidency. [Bloomberg,9/22/15]
Ben Carson said he would allow some undocumented immigrants to “become guest workers, not citizens, not voting people, not people who get goodies.” [CBS’s Face the Nation, 9/13/15]
John Kasich: “I’m not for giving anybody a path to citizenship here.” [Fox News’ Hannity, 12/30/15]
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