Just after taking office, Trump had a phone conversation with Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto in which he begged Peña Nieto not to say publicly that Mexico would never pay for the wall. “You cannot say anymore that the United States is going to pay for the wall. I am just going to say that we are working it out,” Trump said, to which Peña Nieto replied, “This is an issue related to the dignity of Mexico and goes to the national pride of my country.” Which, of course, was precisely the point.[22]
