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SPEAKER 1
Within 24 hours of Donald Trump making erratic social media posts saying that he would impose 25% blanket tariffs on Canada and Mexico, the recently elected president of Mexico, Claudia Scheinbaum, responded with a statement saying that two can play at this game and that she is prepared essentially for a trade war against the United States.
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She's prepared to implement retaliatory tariffs against the United States. She also points out that 70% of illegal guns that's in her country in Mexico come from the United States. She points out that the reason for the opioid crisis is that the consumers of it 99% are in the United States of America.
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And also, if we want to talk about fentanyl coming into America, most of that is coming from Americans. She says, look, we're prepared to cooperate as a trading partner, but we know exactly where the pain points are in the United States economy, which relies on a lot of goods that are manufactured in Mexico,

Mexico's President Strikes Back Hard at Trump Over Tariff Threats

Let the trade war begin

In a new report, MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas discuss the response from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo to Donald Trump over his announced 25% punitive tariffs on all imports from Mexico, which Trump claims is payback for migrant caravans coming over the southern border, despite border crossings now at some of their lowest levels of the past four years. These ad-free experience is available exclusively for subscribers of Meidas+. Consider becoming a paid subscriber to support our work.

Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Within 24 hours of Trump’s Mexican tariff announcement, President Sheinbaum issued a statement warning of retaliatory tariffs against the U.S., emphasizing the shared economic risks and mutual reliance between the two countries. Contrary to Donald Trump’s fear-mongering about the danger coming to the United States from Mexico, Sheinbaum hit back at Trump over the fact that the U.S. is the source of 70% of illegal firearms in Mexico.

She reminded Trump that the drug trade in Mexico is due to demand from the U.S., and that many Mexicans pay for that demand with their lives. Sheinbaum stressed the importance of collaboration on trade, migration, and drug control, urging a cooperative approach rather than unilateral threats. She pointed out Mexico’s successful efforts to manage migration and combat drug trafficking.

Meiselas also debunks Trump’s fear-mongering about caravans, citing evidence that border crossings have significantly decreased under Biden’s policies, reaching new lows, despite Trump’s effort to kill a bipartisan border security bill. He shoots down right-wing echo chamber propaganda that claims Sheinbaum’s statement is a capitulation to Trump, rather than a powerful defense of Mexico’s interests.

Trump is not even the president yet and already the world is bracing for the disastrous consequences of his dangerous narcissistic psychopathy. Now is the time to stand united against fascism. Help MeidasTouch speak truth to power. Consider becoming a Meidas+ subscriber today.

Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Discussion about this video

User's avatar
Burke's avatar

There's been a lot of TV pundit talk about the "Gender Divide". Even more striking is the "Rationality Divide" between Trump-MAGA World and the rest of the world. Most of the world's leaders are intelligent and rational and make decisions based on reality and reason. Donald is incapable of evaluating reality. Donald is, literally, an unreasonable human.

So, when he threatens another world leader using irrational arguments and make-believe "facts" they will push back. The Stupids are about to be handed the keys to the government. Every leader in the world is well aware of this.

They see the Idiocracy coming: A Russian spy appointed to spy on Russians. An astrologer snake oil salesman to manage Medicare. A reality denier to manage scientists. A minor platoon leader sex addict to manage the strongest military in the world, who is so stupid he doesn't believe in bacteria. A nazi lover to advise on national security. A nutcase who thinks arresting and imprisoning productive, working families is smart. It's a flood of idiocy!

We and the world's leaders are watching the stupidity unfold.

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Tony C's avatar

Mexico apparently has a real president.

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Linda Fulcher's avatar

According to Rolling Stone today, The Madman now wants to invade Mexico. A "splendid little war", right? I can't stand another second of this and he hasn't even taken office yet.

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Kay G's avatar

Just read about it. I live among Trump voters. They voted to secure the border and get the prices down. This crazy ass bullshit is going to piss them off totally. These people are already angry and they are all armed. That’s the other thing the President of Mexico said. Americans were getting drugs from their cartels BUT their cartels were getting their guns from Americans. So maybe both countries will benefit from sealing the border.

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Yvette N Hath's avatar

A strong female leader confronting trump. . . LOVE IT!

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Fran's avatar

This reality-shifting makes me absolutely crazy! How the millions of voters bought into his bullshit is beyond me.

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Cathy Delia's avatar

It doesn't surprise me. They believe everything their fearless leader tells them. Maybe they'll all drink the kool-aid.

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Fran's avatar

I'm not sure that he’s told them anything other than “I'm putting tariffs on goods from XYZ”. XYZ reacts. The magaverse spreads its interpretation of the “facts” and concludes that he is tough and won the battle. I'm not sure that I have seen a response to Mexico yet from anyone o. The “team”.

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Eunice Lisak's avatar

Good to know our neighbor, Mexico, is not afraid of Trump and his bullying tactics!! I hope other democratic countries take her lead!

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Paulie's avatar

I'm reminded of some message-crafting learning I did years ago: only have one message, don't add tertiary things. If the message the President of Mexico wanted to send is about trade and tariffs, that needs to be the message. Anything not on that topic creates opportunity for your main thrust to be lost. Did the right-wing folks go out of their way to find an alternate message? Of course, that's their thing. And, obviously, the President of Mexico can say whatever she wants to however she wants to and I love her firm stand to Trump. I am just posing that messaging needs to be tight on a single fail-point at a time: produce lots of messages, but each needs to be clear on one target. In this case, IMHO, its ~'we (Mexico) respond to Trump Tariffs with tariffs of our own'~.

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SA's avatar

I agree with this single point focus perspective. If he follows through, however, I think price increases and possible product embargo (like China did to our farm products in 2018 as a result of T_____p tariff war) will be like a single pointed arrow, from a crossbow.

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Cathy Delia's avatar

It doesn't surprise me that MAGA once again gets it wrong. They get the spin from Fox News or Newsmax or whatever right-wing media they listen to. Obviously, they haven't read the full message from Mexico's president. Even if they did, they probably wouldn't understand it. Most of them won't be able to read something that long.

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dom's avatar

Thanks for these posts team MEIDAS!!

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Carol Maxym's avatar

Thank you, Ben, as always for this. May I please suggest that you also feature Biden's accomplishments in your daily videos. One mistake I think we (Democrats, Progressives, Blue Voters) made was that we forgot to tout Biden's many, very many triumphs. As Trump tries to take over the conversation, let's drown him out with all Biden and Biden-Harris' accomplishments. We could list one a day and still be going a year from today. We cannot let Trump take credit for Biden's brilliance. Thank you.

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Warrior4Justice's avatar

Trump voters are in for a lot of unpleasant surprises.

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Larry Schmidt's avatar

I am glad to see that many democratic leaders are pushing back on Traitor Trump. It's a shame that some like Turkey are not calling trump out. Again, it is going to be up to us to save our Democracy. Just keep on fighting and spreading the truth to EVERYONE IN THE WORLD! Knowledge IS Truth to POWER.

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Sky 777's avatar

Yay! You go girl!

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MPT's avatar

Republican maga morons lie about what is written in front of their stupid faces. Maybe they simply cannot read, comprehend, or understand the written word...

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JasRn's avatar

As well she should!! It’s so ridiculous, his stupid bibles were manufactured in China! He’s just clueless and id never wanna come here, if I didn’t have kids and grandkids I’d move far far away!

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Deborah Hemenway's avatar

Both Canada and Mexico have talked about the amount of guns going into their countries from us. I have to wonder if the orange buffoon even considered the blow back regarding the illegal gun trade. Further 80% of the fentanyl is brought in by US citizens I have heard. Every time he wants to scare his minions, he brings up huge caravans of migrants that are in his imagination or alternate reality but not in our reality!

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Linda Morway's avatar

She has her head on straight

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Linda Morway's avatar

Trump is a disgrace in this country. He is going toscrew over all Americans who are not billionaires.

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Patrick Pascale's avatar

KUDOS to President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo! Tariffs on American owned factory products at MEXICO'S Labor wages" exported?" to the US!! 25%!!

What does blubbering Thrump "shock and "awe" statements impart to back- thumping yahoos" MAG-ants" have to do with World Reality?? Further Stupidity!!

It is deeper than appalling that Thrump will" govern" , using ALICE IN WONDERLAND LOGIC, as demonstrated over and over. Lewis Carroll- what hast thou wrought???

new Moniker "UPSIDE DOWN TRUMP"...........

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Brenda Sovero's avatar

You go, girl!! Stand up to bully Trump.....wonderful...and a woman!!! HA!!

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J Keller's avatar

Love you folks!

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Tammy Cocchiarale's avatar

This is not what is out there. That’s the problem. When I do a search about the situation on Google/ Chrome it’s all positive for Orange man. Why? How is anyone supposed to come to look at the situation and see that the Mexican President has wrote those words from that letter? As a regular Joe, I would check the web this way and find nothing. So, now I’m wondering why I should believe you. It’s so confusing.

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Concerned Citizen's avatar

Sadly, it seems that Trump is already twisting this to make it look like this is a result of his threats of tariffs on Mexico. This will likely be parroted on the right wing networks and corporate networks as well. They will claim that he fixed the problem when the problem had already been taken care of.

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Phgladko's avatar

Wow, an actual Mexican stand-off.... but seriously, thank you to President Sheinbaum for standing up to Trump. Any word from Trudeau?

Still my favorite joke: what borders on stupidity? Canada and Mexico.

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MaryAnne Barnett's avatar

Please subscribe if you haven't, you won't be sorry.

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Purobi Phillips's avatar

Problem is trump voters will never hear, read or understand any of these. A lot of them have no idea where Mexico is, what languages (yes, indigenous languages) they speak or that they have a female, Jewish President. Heck, I doubt the "Free Palestine" crowd know a lot about it either.

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Tammy Cocchiarale's avatar

For one thing, I did a search and every article that came up about this situation had no resemblance to this article/podcast. Where is this letter? I’m starting to wonder. Why is the media, at least 1 or 2 not showing this? It’s insane. I know he’s a liar and a cheat but someone has to be abrasive if there is a letter like that out there.

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Vcush's avatar

Is President Claudia Sheinbaum on BlueSky?

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Linda Morway's avatar

Why is Trump using truth social to announce policies

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And also, if we want to talk about fentanyl coming into America, most of that is coming from Americans. She says, look, we're prepared to cooperate as a trading partner, but we know exactly where the pain points are in the United States economy, which relies on a lot of goods that are manufactured in Mexico,