The Latest: White House plays down tariff meeting hopes
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs on goods coming from Mexico (all times local):
6:45 p.m.
Mexican officials have left the White House without a deal to stave off President Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs on all Mexican goods flowing into the United States.
But talks were continuing Wednesday evening at the State Department between U.S. and Mexican officials.
Trump tweets from Ireland that, “Progress is being made, but not nearly enough!” He says talks will resume Thursday.
The first tariffs — 5% taxes on imports from Mexico — are to go into effect Monday. Trump has said that is “more likely” than not to occur despite stiff and vocal opposition from many fellow Republicans in Congress.
Trump’s goal is to persuade Mexican leaders to do more to keep would-be migrants from other Central American countries from traveling across Mexico to the American border.
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12:35 p.m.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is warning that President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs on Mexican imports would be “punishing” for both countries.
Pelosi says the 5% tariff that Trump is threatening on the longtime U.S. ally is “not a way to treat a friend.” The California Democrat also says it’s not a way to deal with immigration.
Trump wants to impose tariffs on all imported Mexican goods starting Monday to push the Mexican government to do more to halt illegal immigration.
Republican senators are pledged to block Trump’s plan. But Trump has tweeted support from the top House Republican, California Rep. Kevin McCarthy, suggesting House Republicans would back him.
Pelosi says she’s not sure how Congress would vote on the tariffs until Trump sends an actual proposal. All she has now, she says, are his tweets and comments.
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11:20 a.m.
White House officials are downplaying expectations ahead of a meeting Wednesday afternoon between the U.S. and Mexico over President Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs on Mexican goods.
Two White House officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. delegation, led by Vice President Mike Pence, will listen to Mexico’s ideas for delivering on Trump’s demands that the country step up its efforts to halt Central American migrants from making their way to the U.S. southern border.
But they said they do not expect a deal that would stop the tariffs to emerge from the discussion.
Trump insisted in a tweet Tuesday that he wasn’t “bluffing,” and told reporters the tariffs are “more likely” than not to take effect Monday.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss expectations publicly ahead of the meeting.
—Associated Press writer Jill Colvin
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12:40 a.m.
Republican senators are declaring deep opposition to President Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs on all goods coming into the U.S. from Mexico. But it’s unclear they have the votes to stop him, and Trump said they’d be “foolish” to try.
All sides, including officials from Mexico meeting with Trump negotiators in Washington this week, remain hopeful that high-level talks will ease the president away from his threat. But with the tariffs set to start next Monday, fellow Republicans in Congress warned the White House they are ready to stand up to the president.
The public split and looming standoff over 5% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico revealed a fundamental divergence in values between the president and his party.
The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.
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