Trump dines with billionaire Carlos Slim while relations warm with Mexican leaders
In the closing days of his campaign, Donald Trump vilified one of the world's richest men – Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim – as part of a globalist cabal conspiring to extinguish his populist candidacy.
Yet over the weekend, Slim journeyed to Mar-a-Lago, Trump's estate in Palm Beach, Florida, for what the president-elect described as "a lovely dinner with a wonderful man."
The peacemaking gesture - the culmination of weeks of back-channel negotiations that included a secret visit to Mexico City by a Trump envoy – signals a possible thawing between Trump and Mexico's business and political elite, whom he had used relentlessly as a foil throughout his campaign.
The communications raised hopes in Mexico's business community that Trump might reconsider his vow to tear up the North American Free Trade Agreement and be persuaded to adopt less hardline immigration and economic policies, which were cornerstones of his campaign.
Larry Rubin, president of the American Society of Mexico and a key liaison between Republican officials in the United States and Mexican leaders, said Trump and his team are forging a better understanding of shared economic interests between the two countries.
"What President-elect Trump wants to do in coming closer to the Mexican business community has an impact not only nationally but regionally with Latin America and opens the doors for good business relations overall," said Rubin, who is one of several candidates to serve as Trump's ambassador to Mexico. "The closer that the administration is to businesses and governments in Mexico and in the region, the better for the U.S."
But Trump has made no declaration of any shift in his immigration or trade policies, and any softening would carry the risk of angering his core supporters.
Saturday, just hours before his dinner with Slim, Trump staged the final rally of his "thank you" tour in Mobile, Alabama, and the crowd chanted, "Build that wall!"
"Do not worry. We are going to build the wall," Trump said, reiterating his promise to erect a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border to keep out undocumented immigrants and to make Mexico pay for it.
Trump and Slim's dinner was designed to open a friendly line of communication rather than delve into policy details, according to people briefed on the discussions.
Slim's visit to Mar-a-Lago came after Corey Lewandowski, a former Trump campaign manager who remains a confidant of the president-elect, quietly visited Mexico City on Dec. 9 to meet with Slim.
After the election, Slim connected with Lewandowski – someone he saw as having Trump's ear but not as a formal member of his staff – and arranged for them to discuss trade, economic and other issues, according to people with knowledge of the session.
Slim has long been the dominant figure in Mexico's business community. He has a net worth estimated at $77 billion, according to the most recent tally by Forbes magazine. He controls Latin America's largest telecom company, América Móvil, and is involved in banking, construction, retail, health-care, oil and other businesses. Slim also is the largest single investor in the New York Times Co.
Trump's meeting with Slim is the latest example of the president-elect reconciling with former foes – most prominently, Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP presidential nominee who had led the Republican resistance to Trump's candidacy but became a serious candidate for secretary of state.
During the campaign, Slim strongly criticized Trump's rhetoric about Mexican Americans as well as his plans to renegotiate NAFTA and build the border wall. Slim said Trump's proposed tariff on imports would "destroy" the U.S. economy.
Trump in turn accused Slim of helping promote his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, and cast him as part of a global conspiracy. At an Oct. 14 rally, Trump attacked Slim personally and accused Times journalists of being "corporate lobbyists for Carlos Slim."
Trump's quarrel with Slim extends to the very beginning of his campaign.