U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said on Monday she will not accept an invitation from Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto for a visit after rival Donald Trump created what she called a "diplomatic incident" in his foray there.
In
a written excerpt from an interview with ABC News that will air Tuesday
morning, Clinton simply said "no" when asked if she would travel to
Mexico before the election on Nov. 8, without elaborating further.
Her campaign later confirmed her decision.
"We understand and respect her decision to propose the time to hold a meeting," said Mexican Foreign Minister Claudia Ruiz Massieu in a tweet, adding that contact with Clinton's campaign was ongoing.
Pena
Nieto extended invitations to both candidates last month, and Trump
flew to Mexico City last
Wednesday for a meeting that appeared to be
friendly but later revealed deep tensions.
Trump, the Republican
presidential nominee, has been highly critical of Mexico, saying the
country sends rapists and drug dealers to the United States. He has
called for a wall to be built on the border that would be paid for by
Mexico.
Trump said at a joint news conference with
Pena Nieto that they did not discuss who would pay for the wall. Pena
Nieto remained silent on the issue at the event, but said later on
Twitter that he made it clear Mexico would not pay for the wall.
"He came out saying one thing and the Mexican president contradicted him almost immediately," Clinton, a former U.S. secretary of state, said in the ABC interview.
"He
didn't raise it, so he did choke. He didn't know how to even
communicate effectively with a head of state. And I think that's a
pretty clear outcome from that trip," she added.
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