Donald Trump's visit to Mexico was "a fake," because he played with public opinions on both sides with the visit and subsequent speech when he returned to the United States, and it's time for Americans to "wake up" when it comes to "this false prophet," former Mexican President Vicente Fox said Thursday morning.
"It really is incredible how a man can play with public opinions on both sides," Fox told CNN's "New Day" program. "He comes to Mexico, he plays a totally different music, very diplomatic, very easy and soft talk.
"Very non-content, no content at all. He comes back to the states and then he comes back to his very old message."
Trump has based his "whole campaign" on building a wall at the Mexican border, Fox continued, and he finds that "incredible."
"The most gigantic nation in the world, which is the United States, the largest economy is based on building a wall," said Fox, telling the program that building a wall and deporting "11 million Mexicans" from the United States would be detrimental to the nation's economy.
"Mexico contributes at least 10 million U.S. jobs for U.S. citizens, for those who are backing up Trump," said Fox. "Mexico provides those jobs. So we have to quit our relationship because he is proposing that. My message is, please wake up, America. You have everything to lose and nothing to win with this false prophet."
The former president said he believes it was a mistake for Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto to invite Trump to Mexico City for a visit, because the GOP nominee "took advantage" of it before his speech in Phoenix, where he presented his immigration plan.
"An Immigration plan is already right there in Congress for U.S. approval, said Fox. "That's very sound, very solid. It solves the problem of 11 million undocumented [Immigrants], which by the way are working for American families, are working there in the United States in the construction industry, in farming, jobs that nobody else will take."
And he insisted, once again that Mexico is "not going to play for that 'F' wall. I'm going to be moderate today, that 'F' wall."
"It's a crazy idea," said Fox. "I don't know why U.S. citizens, taxpayers accept that they will pay for the wall. They don't have an alternative. That wall is built, no way Mexico will pay for it."
Mexico may be smaller than the United States, he continued, but "we have our pride, we have our dignity, and we have our ways of solving our own problems."
Trump also needs to understand that Mexico is part of the North American region, the "most powerful region in the world," said Fox, and the United States' economy has become strong along with Mexico's because of NAFTA.
"That's the way Mexican economy has become so strong and retained here millions of Mexican citizens that otherwise would have migrated," said Fox. "Now they have a job. Now they're working here in Mexico. And the United States has benefited extensively by the amount of jobs that NAFTA has created."
He also said he does not know why the wall continues to be discussed "so long and so frequently," as Trump is "absolutely crazy."
Fox also complained about Mexico's current president, saying that he does not represent either the 120 million people in his country or the Hispanic Mexicans in the United States.
And Trump, said Fox, is "a liar. He's lying to U.S. borders, to U.S. followers, and he came to Mexico to lie to the Mexican people."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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