Two weeks ago, the head of the National Conference of Mexican Governors warned Newsmax that President Trump’s construction of a wall could be the just the catalyst leftist nationalist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador needs to be elected president of Mexico in 2018.
Often likened to the late Marxist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, former Mexico City Mayor Lopez Obrador—known throughout Mexico as “AMLO”—is considered the most anti-American of the candidates vying to succeed lame duck President Enrique Pena Nieto next year.
Lopez Obrador wants “war, and not peace” between the U.S. and Mexico, Morelos Gov. Graco Ramirez told me.
Asked on Tuesday if Trump was concerned about the fears of Lopez Obrador’s election, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said without hesitation, “No.”
“The president’s No. 1 concern is the safety of our country,” Spicer said. “No. 2 is the jobs that are impacted by this and the ability of Americans to get the wages that they deserve.”
But, Spicer emphasized, “This is a national security issue. So, the thing is, when he’s discussed this with President Pena Nieto of Mexico, there is a shared concern about arms sales over the border, There is a shared concerned over respect for the border because it means a lot to both sides.”
Spicer added that the proposed wall “is something we care about from a national security standpoint and then obviously the president is concerned about it from an economic standpoint.”
Most polls show Lopez Obrador the front-runner in next year’s election over Margarita Zavala, a former congresswoman of the PAN (center-right) party and wife of former President Felipe Calderon.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.