Mexican Gov’t Blasts Mainstream Media for Lying About “Invasion”

It appears that the reckless way in which the mainstream media lambasts President Trump has dangerous, international consequences. Luckily, the Mexican Government fired back at CNN for misreporting on a conversation president Enrique Peña Nieto had with Donald Trump.

Parker Lee of  IJ Review reports,

During his first days in office, the world’s eyes have turned towards President Trump to see exactly how he’ll handle foreign heads of state.

Any points that Trump had scored during British Prime Minister Theresa May’s visit seemed to be quickly wiped away on Wednesday; however, when the Associated Press claimed to have evidence of Trump issuing military threats to Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto.
According to the AP, Trump took a hostile tone during a phone call last week, telling the Mexican head of state:

“You have a bunch of bad hombres down there. You aren’t doing enough to stop them.

I think your military is scared. Our military isn’t, so I just might send them down to take care of it.”

The AP notes that D.C.-based journalist Dolia Estevez shared “a similar account” of the call with Mexican news outlet Aristegui Noticias, saying that “Trump humiliated Peña Nieto” during the “very offensive conversation.”

News that the U.S. president had just threatened to “invade” Mexico spread quickly across social media:

Trump illegally threatens to send troops into Mexico. Like he was Woodrow Wilson. Or James K. Polk. Or insane. https://t.co/yC2roGTmtj

— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) February 2, 2017

So Trump spoke to at least three world leaders today 1/ Insulted Australian PM 2/ Threatened to invade Mexico but 3/ Putin call was good

— Peter Jukes (@peterjukes) February 2, 2017

The only problem, according to Mexico’s foreign relations department, is that these claims are “based on absolute falsehoods.”

In a statement addressed directly to journalist Dolia Estevez, the department said that she had been outright “lied to”:

Mexico’s State Dept to reporter @DoliaEstevez who got scoop: “Whoever was your confidential source on this side of the border, lied to you."

— Salvador Hernandez (@SalHernandez) February 1, 2017

That statement continued:

The assertions that you make about said conversation do not correspond to the reality of it.

The tone was constructive and it was agreed by the presidents to continue working and that the teams will continue to meet frequently to construct an agreement that is positive for Mexico and for the United States.

A spokesperson for President Peña Nieto, Eduardo Sanchez, was equally direct in denying the allegations:

“I know it with absolute certainty, there was no threat. The things that have been said are nonsense and a downright lie.”

The White House also reportedly denied that Trump had made any such threat:

The White House tells me POTUS did not threaten to invade Mexico. https://t.co/93Np22bgUm

— Andrew Beatty (@AndrewBeatty) February 1, 2017

So why the confusion?

According to CNN, the initial allegations had been based off a readout that had been “written by aides,” as opposed to an official transcript of the conversation.

Having since acquired an excerpt from this official transcript, CNN reports what Trump actually said was:

“You have some pretty tough hombres in Mexico that you may need help with.

We are willing to help with that big-league, but they have to be knocked out and you have not done a good job knocking them out.”

This quote seems much more in line with the conversation that the White House said occurred between the two leaders, which was how they “could work collaboratively to combat drug cartels and other criminal elements, and make the border more secure.”

Whether or not this much more tamed version of the Trump-Peña Nieto conversation will get the exposure that the “invasion” version did, however, remains to be seen.