Donald Trump already has plans to meet with Mexico's president

Donald Trump and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto already have a sit-down scheduled. Peña Nieto confirmed Wednesday that he has congratulated Trump on winning the U.S. presidential election and vowed to work with the president-elect "in support of bilateral relations." "I trust that Mexico and the United States will continue to strengthen their bonds of cooperation and mutual respect," Peña Nieto tweeted, per The Guardian's translation.
Since Trump announced at the start of his presidential bid that he would have Mexico pay for a border wall to keep out "criminals" and "rapists," his relationship with the country has been fraught. In August, Trump traveled to Mexico to meet with Peña Nieto, and while initially both men said the meeting went well, that narrative quickly changed. Trump insisted they had not discussed who would pay for a border wall, while Peña Nieto claimed he'd made it clear to Trump that Mexico would not foot the bill.
Peña Nieto later called the meeting a "very rushed decision" and admitted they could have "done things better."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The two will reportedly meet again before Trump assumes office in January.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
5 museum-grade cartoons about Trump's Smithsonian purge
Cartoons Artists take on institutional rebranding, exhibit interpretation, and more
-
Settling the West Bank: a death knell for a Palestine state?
In the Spotlight The reality on the ground is that the annexation of the West Bank is all but a done deal
-
Crossword: August 23, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Judge: Trump's US attorney in NJ serving unlawfully
Speed Read The appointment of Trump's former personal defense lawyer, Alina Habba, as acting US attorney in New Jersey was ruled 'unlawful'
-
Third judge rejects DOJ's Epstein records request
Speed Read Judge Richard Berman was the third and final federal judge to reject DOJ petitions to unseal Epstein-related grand jury material
-
Texas OKs gerrymander sought by Trump
Speed Read The House approved a new congressional map aimed at flipping Democratic-held seats to Republican control
-
Israel starts Gaza assault, approves West Bank plan
Speed Read Israel forces pushed into the outskirts of Gaza City and Netanyahu's government gave approval for a settlement to cut the occupied Palestinian territory in two
-
Court says labor board's structure unconstitutional
Speed Read The ruling has broad implications for labor rights enforcement in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi
-
Feds seek harsh charges in DC arrests, except for rifles
Speed Read The DOJ said 465 arrests had been made in D.C. since Trump federalized law enforcement there two weeks ago
-
Trump taps Missouri AG to help lead FBI
Speed Read Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has been appointed FBI co-deputy director, alongside Dan Bongino
-
Trump warms to Kyiv security deal in summit
Speed Read Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Trump's support for guaranteeing his country's security 'a major step forward'