Mexico’s leader scraps visit after Trump call

MEXICO’S president has postponed his plans to visit the United States after a badtempered telephone conversation with Donald Trump.

The US president refused to back down on his border wall rhetoric, according to sources in both countries.

Mexico is usually one of the first stops for any new US president, but Mr Trump is yet to visit as leader, and Enrique Peña Nieto, his Mexican counterpart, has not travelled to Washington.

On Tuesday, Mr Peña Nieto spoke to Mr Trump in a 50-minute call, in which it was expected they would lay the foundations for a visit in March. Earlier this month, Luis Videgaray, Mexico’s foreign minister, travelled to Washington and believed he had secured assurances that Mr Trump would not broach the subject of the wall when Mr Peña Nieto visited.

But Tuesday’s conversation did not go well, both sides told The Washington

Post. Mr Trump said he could not commit himself to not talking about the wall.

One Mexican official said Mr Trump “lost his temper.” US officials described him instead as being frustrated and exasperated.

After the phone call, Jared Kushner, Mr Trump’s sonin-law and senior adviser, who is seen as the “point person” for Mexico, called Mr Peña Nieto and tried to smooth things over.