On Wednesday, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump appeared to mischaracterize his recent phone call with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, claiming on his Truth Social platform that Sheinbaum had agreed to “stop Migration through Mexico, and into the United States, effectively closing our Southern Border.”
However, Sheinbaum quickly refuted Trump’s statement, clarifying Mexico’s stance in a Spanish-language post. “We reiterate that Mexico’s position is not to close borders, but to build bridges between governments and communities,” she wrote.
Despite the discrepancy, both leaders described the conversation as positive. The call followed Trump’s controversial declaration on Monday, where he threatened to impose a 25% tariff on all goods entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico after his inauguration. Trump stated the tariff would remain until the flow of illegal drugs, particularly fentanyl, and undocumented migrants into the U.S. was halted. He also suggested an additional 10% tariff on Chinese imports.
Trump’s claims drew immediate comparisons to his 2016 promise that Mexico would pay for a U.S.-Mexico border wall—a pledge that then-Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto firmly denied and which ultimately never materialized.
The exaggerated nature of Trump’s latest remarks ignited mockery online. Journalist Sam Stein tweeted sarcastically, “All it took was one call. Donny deals.”
Mike Nellis, a former aide to Vice President Kamala Harris, wrote, “Trump thinks he convinced the President of Mexico to stop all migration across the border LOL.”
Olivia Troye, a former White House official during Trump’s first term, provided her interpretation of the exchange. “Translation: Just had a conversation with the President of Mexico who didn’t allow me to bully her, which left me confused about my charm,” she quipped.
Trump’s comments, paired with Sheinbaum’s swift rebuttal, underscore ongoing tensions over U.S. immigration policy and trade relations. Social media reactions further amplified the spectacle, with many users lampooning Trump’s claims as detached from reality.