How did mexico react to trump saying they need to pay for wall 2016

1. Political rebuke: Mexico’s government said “we won’t pay”

Mexico’s federal government issued a clear, formal rejection of Trump’s claim. Treasury Secretary Luis Videgaray publicly stated the Mexican government would “emphatically and categorically” not pay for a U.S.-Mexico border wall ^[2]. President Enrique Peña Nieto likewise insisted Mexico would not foot the bill and, after a dispute over the issue, canceled a planned state visit to Washington — a tangible diplomatic rupture directly tied to Trump’s insistence that Mexico pay ^{[1] [3]}.

2. Public outrage and protests: a campaign promise that angered Mexicans

Trump’s rhetoric during the campaign — calling some Mexican migrants “rapists” and promising a wall paid by Mexico — provoked protests and widespread condemnation in Mexico. Mexican TV commentators and citizens expressed uncertainty and alarm after his November 2016 victory, and demonstrations accompanied his August 2016 visit to Mexico City ^{[4] [1]}. Government figures and commentators described his remarks as ignorant and damaging ^{[5] [2]}.

3. Diplomatic consequence: cancelled meetings and a strained relationship

The demand that Mexico pay for the wall escalated into a diplomatic standoff: Peña Nieto canceled a planned meeting with Trump amid the payment dispute, signaling that the issue had become a substantive rupture in bilateral ties rather than mere campaign rhetoric ^[3]. PBS reported that Peña Nieto’s repeated denials that Mexico would pay put him on the defensive domestically and complicated his ability to engage the U.S. president ^[6].

4. Messaging vs. reality: campaign promise vs. government action

Trump repeatedly promised during 2015–2016 that Mexico would pay for the wall; Mexican leaders repeatedly rejected that premise ^{[7] [2]}. After Trump became president, the U.S. government — not Mexico — spent billions to build or replace barriers along the border, undercutting the campaign claim that Mexico would directly fund construction ^{[8] [7]}.

5. Two narratives in play: political theater and policy follow-through

One narrative — advanced by Trump and campaign advisers as a core campaign promise — presented the wall and Mexico’s payment as a simple transactional fix to immigration and trade grievances ^{[7] [9]}. The Mexican response framed that same proposal as politically offensive, factually wrong, and diplomatically harmful; Mexico’s leaders and officials repeatedly sought to defuse domestic backlash and reject financial responsibility ^{[2] [5]}.

6. Broader consequences: shifts in public opinion and long-term ties

Reporting and analysis found the dispute contributed to deteriorating perceptions of the U.S. in Mexico and to lasting strains in the bilateral relationship. Polling and commentary noted falling U.S. favorability in Mexico during and after Trump’s rise, while experts highlighted how the wall rhetoric and ensuing policies widened a political and cultural divide ^{[10] [11]}.

7. What sources say and what they don’t

Available reporting documents Mexico’s political and public opposition to Trump’s “Mexico will pay” claim and shows diplomatic fallout including a canceled presidential meeting ^{[1] [2] [3]}. Sources report that the U.S., not Mexico, funded most wall construction after 2016 ^[8]. Available sources do not mention any instance where the Mexican federal government agreed to directly fund construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall.

Limitations: this summary relies solely on reporting and analysis provided in the cited pieces; it does not include primary diplomatic cables or exhaustive Mexican domestic polling beyond the cited articles. Where Mexican officials’ statements and domestic reactions differ, both are presented with their sources ^{[2] [4] [5]}.