On Thursday the Washington Post published portions of classified transcripts of very combative phone calls between President Trump and leaders of Mexico and Australia.
These transcripts include conversations between President Trump and these leaders where they discuss immigration, refugees and border wall funding. Trump spoke with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto about the wall and how important it was politically.
Per The Hill:
President Trump pleaded that Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto stop stating that his country would not pay for a wall on the border in their first telephone discussion, according to a transcript of the Jan. 27 call obtained by The Washington Post.
"You cannot say that to the press,” Trump told Nieto, urging him to refrain from the public statements because of the political damage it would impose on Trump.
“If you are going to say that Mexico is not going to pay for the wall, then I do not want to meet with you guys anymore because I cannot live with that,” Trump told Nieto, according to the transcript obtained by the Post.
In a line likely to surprise some Trump supporters, the president described the wall as "the least important thing we are talking about, but politically this might be the most important."
The conversation is one of several Trump held with foreign leaders as he took office.
President Trump also had a rough call with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
President Trump told Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull earlier this year that he had a better call with Russian President Vladimir Putin before ending a contentious phone call.
Trump argued with Turnbull over an agreement on refugees he thought was unfair during their first conversation following his inauguration.
“I have had it,” Trump told his Australian counterpart during the Jan. 28 call, according to a transcript obtained by The Washington Post and published on Thursday. “I have been making these calls all day, and this is the most unpleasant call all day.”
Trump also told Turnbull that his conversation with the Russian leader was far more enjoyable.
“Putin was a pleasant call,” Trump said. “This is ridiculous.”
The combative nature of Trump and Turnbull’s conversation was previously known, but the Post’s report shed new light on the details of the talks.
These leaks are unacceptable and the leakers need to be found and removed. Even people from the left feel that these are completely unacceptable. Even Obama's former National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor.
https://twitter.com/TVietor08/status/893115458496245760
What do you think about the leaked Trump conversations? Let us know in the comments.
Leave a Reply