They are studying his interviews to prepare for mass deportations and preparing policy recommendations to bring to the bargaining table.
As Mexico holds a presidential election next month, government officials and campaign aides are also preparing for a different vote: one in the United States that could return Donald Trump to the presidency.
When Trump last took office, his victory surprised many of America’s allies, and his threatening diplomacy forced them to adapt. Now, they have time to predict how Trump’s victory will change the relationship that President Biden is trying to normalize — and they are frantically preparing for an upheaval.
For some, memories of negotiations with Trump the last time he was in office, when he used extreme threats against Mexico, are still fresh.
How was the deal reached with the Trump team? “Time, patience, cold blood,” Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico’s former foreign minister, said in an interview. “If you understand that, you can win. It’s not easy.”
In Mexico, officials say working with Trump may be more difficult this time around.Promising “the largest deportations in American history,” the former president proposed Imposes 100% tariff on Chinese cars made in Mexico and Vows to deploy U.S. Special ForcesAs he puts it, “Waging war on the cartels.”
Behind the scenes, the Mexican government is discussing proposals with people close to the Trump campaign, including the former president’s threat to impose “universal tariffs” on all imports, and working to resolve trade differences before the U.S. election, a senior person said. Mexican officials were not authorized to speak publicly.
The goal is to make a future Mexican government as ready as possible to engage with Trump, the official said.
Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador developed a close working relationship with Trump early in his administration, despite Trump’s repeated threats to impose tariffs on Mexico and The country pays for the border wall.
But Mr López Obrador is set to resign at the end of his term following June’s presidential election, in which polls show his protege Claudia Shinbaum, the former mayor of Mexico City, Sheinbaum) has a significant advantage.
The unwritten rule of López Obrador’s relationship with Trump is that Mexico does what it can on immigration, while the White House lets him pursue domestic priorities without interference. This seems to work for both people.
Mexican leaders have Praises Mr. Trump for respecting Mexican sovereignty. Trump called the Mexican leader a “friend” and a “great president.”
But it’s unclear how Trump will engage with the two most important presidential candidates.
“Whether it’s with President Trump or President Biden, we’re going to have a good relationship,” Ms. Sheinbaum said in an interview. “We will always defend Mexico and Mexicans in the United States — we want an equal relationship.”
Top opposition candidate Xochitl Galvez said she could work with any president, too.
“Obviously, I would rather work with a polite, courteous gentleman like Joe Biden,” Ms. Galvez told The New York Times. “But in my professional and political life, I’ve been exposed to all types of masculinity,” she said. “This isn’t the first time I’ve faced a character with complex masculinity, so I can work perfectly with Trump.”
Campaign aides are making plans for both outcomes.
“I’m not worried, but we will be prepared,” said Juan Ramon de la Fuente, a member of Sheinbaum’s team, of a potential Trump victory. “We are preparing for both scenarios.”
On the issue of migration, Mr. de la Fuente said, “We need to be more effective in reducing irregular crossings.” De la Fuente most recently served as Mexico’s ambassador to the United Nations and was seen as a potential foreign minister in the Sheinbaum administration.
But he also pointed to U.S. laws as “not-so-healthy incentives” that help drive immigration, “because the minute you touch land, you’re a candidate for asylum.”
Some officials in Mexico believe the country has more influence in dealing with the United States than in the past.The White House relies heavily on Mr López Obrador to slow immigration at US southern borderthis cooperation gives Mexico significant influence on one of the most important issues in American politics.
“From a structural perspective, Mexico’s power relative to the United States is growing,” Ebrard said. The Mexican economy has performed well in recent years, Factories have emerged as an attractive alternative Go to China to America.
As Mexico, “any administration in the United States would need you to set immigration policy,” he said. “Geopolitical tensions are somewhat conducive to a stronger Mexico.”
Ebrard was a member of Sheinbaum’s campaign and is seen as a possible Cabinet member if she wins. During Trump’s tenure, Ebrard led negotiations with Trump advisers.
On trade, “their top priority is labor reform, raising wages in Mexico,” Mr. Ebrard said. This is acceptable to Mexico because the López Obrador government campaigned on a left-wing platform and is committed to raising wages in Mexico.
When it comes to immigration, real requirements are harder to meet. Ebrard said Trump wants to “significantly reduce” border crossings but disagrees with Mexico’s view of investing in solutions to what drives people to migrate.
He said Mexico could still get the government to acknowledge its views.
In December 2018, the Trump administration joined the Mexico-led effort and pledged Billions of dollars in private and public investment CENTRAL AMERICA — Although months later, the former president began cutting all aid to the region in response to the migrant caravans.
The Mexican government has been criticized for getting too little in return for agreeing to accept tens of thousands of returning asylum seekers under a Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” policy. But the administration also scored clear victories, including renegotiating free trade agreements with the United States and Canada.
Ms Galvez believes the administration has missed an opportunity to win more rights for undocumented Mexicans in the United States and protect migrants stranded in Mexico, but she also praised the trade deal.
“In that sense, Mexico won, won a lot with Trump,” Ms. Galvez said, adding that Trump never actually imposed the tariffs he threatened. “It didn’t turn out that bad.”
