President Donald Trump on Friday announced that his threat to slap tariffs on Mexico resulted in a trade and immigration deal both countries could live with.
I am pleased to inform you that The United States of America has reached a signed agreement with Mexico. The Tariffs scheduled to be implemented by the U.S. on Monday, against Mexico, are hereby indefinitely suspended. Mexico, in turn, has agreed to take strong measures to....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 8, 2019
....stem the tide of Migration through Mexico, and to our Southern Border. This is being done to greatly reduce, or eliminate, Illegal Immigration coming from Mexico and into the United States. Details of the agreement will be released shortly by the State Department. Thank you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 8, 2019
Trump also took to Twitter on Saturday morning to remind Americans what the deal will mean for the United States.
Mexico will try very hard, and if they do that, this will be a very successful agreement for both the United States and Mexico!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 8, 2019
MEXICO HAS AGREED TO IMMEDIATELY BEGIN BUYING LARGE QUANTITIES OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT FROM OUR GREAT PATRIOT FARMERS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 8, 2019
He also used the opportunity to slam Democrats for failing to get things done.
Nervous Nancy Pelosi & the Democrat House are getting nothing done. Perhaps they could lead the way with the USMCA, the spectacular & very popular new Trade Deal that replaces NAFTA, the worst Trade Deal in the history of the U.S.A. Great for our Farmers, Manufacturers & Unions!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 8, 2019
Speaker Pelosi released a statement slamming Trump's decision to use tariffs to negotiate an immigration plan (emphasis mine):
President Trump undermined America’s preeminent leadership role in the world by recklessly threatening to impose tariffs on our close friend and neighbor to the south.
We are deeply disappointed by the Administration’s expansion of its failed Remain-in-Mexico policy, which violates the rights of asylum seekers under U.S. law and fails to address the root causes of Central American migration.
Congress will continue to hold the Trump Administration accountable for its failures to address the humanitarian situation at our southern border. President Trump must stop sabotaging good-faith, constructive, and bipartisan efforts in Congress to address this complex problem in a humane manner that honors and respects our most cherished national values.
The Trump Administration must also do much more to cooperate in a meaningful way with Mexico in cracking down on smuggling networks. It’s [sic] failure to do so thus far is unconscionable and irresponsible.
Threats and temper tantrums are no way to negotiate foreign policy.
"Congress will continue to hold the Trump administration accountable for its failures to address the humanitarian crisis at our southern border."
Are you kidding me?!
The Trump administration has continually pushed for Congress to address the crisis at the border. Trump has closed the border, he's declared a national emergency and he's moved funding around to get the border wall built. Pelosi must have forgotten that the longest government shutdown in history took place earlier this year when Trump refused to sign a budget because Congress wouldn't give him funding for the wall he wanted.
If anything, Pelosi needs to sit down, take a long, hard look in the mirror and decide what her and her caucus are going to do address the issue at the border. So far, Democrats have looked the other way, said the Trump administration is creating a "faux crisis," despite what border patrol agents have said about the issue.
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