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The two presidents tried to restore relations after a difficult start
In a hostile phone call between the two leaders, Trump told president Enrique Pena Nieto the Mexican military needs to do more to control criminals who could be a risk to the US.
The call had been designed to patch up relations after a difficult start between the two leaders but leaked transcripts of the conversation suggest Trump maintained the blunt and direct approach he is renowned for.
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AP reports that Trump told Pena Nieto: “You have a bunch of bad hombres down there.
“You aren’t doing enough to stop them. I think your military is scared.
“Our military isn’t, so I just might send them down to take care of it.”
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The structures, fences and walls that mark the border between the United States and Mexico as President Donald Trump reiterates his promise to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.
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Combo with images of the border fence between Mexico and the U.S. taken in the states of Sonora and Baja California, Mexico, and in the states of Arizona and California, U.S., between July 2, 2016 and January 25, 2017.
Trump’s use of the phrase “bad hombres” in an October presidential debate caused huge controversy as some opponents claimed he was denigrating immigrants.
He has developed a reputation for his cutting comments about Mexicans – in June 2015 he accused immigrants coming to the US of being “rapists” and criminals.
You aren’t doing enough to stop them… I think your military is scared
He said: “When Mexico sends it people, they’re not sending their best. 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.”
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The pair met in Mexico in August last year, before Trump won the presidency
Mexico’s foreign relations department have rubbished the leaked phone call records and claimed the reports were not accurate.
A statement read: “The assertions that you make about said conversation do not correspond to the reality of it.
“The tone was constructive and it was agreed by the presidents to continue working and that the teams will continue to meet frequently to construct an agreement that is positive for Mexico and for the United States.”