Both Donald Trump and Mexico President Enrique Peña Nieto both had the opportunity to change opinions about themselves with their meeting in Mexico City on Wednesday, and for a while it appeared that would happen, but by the end of the day, nothing had changed, former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Antonio Garza said Thursday.
"[Pena Nieto] thought standing next to the only fellow that is less popular in his country would be a good thing politically," Garza told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program.
"And for a moment yesterday afternoon, it looked like he had the opportunity to put down some clear markers and to represent the country's interests well. And he failed to do that. So, the social media was lit up. This morning's papers are very critical, and I can't imagine that his 23 percent number moved north at all."
And as far as Trump, Garza, who served under former President George W. Bush, said he does not think he is "suitable" to be president, and that didn't change with his trip to Mexico or his speech.
"I think in terms of his positions on trade, immigration, temperament and tone, I think he has done a very poor job as a Republican nominee, and in terms of representing our interests abroad and ultimately, that's what Americans, I think, view their president as a symbolic representative of U.S. interests both at home and abroad," Garza told the program. "And in that respect, I think he's failed."
Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, also ppearing on the program, commented that both Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton are experiencing low favorability and trust ratings, and he doesn't expect that to change soon.
"The Washington Post and PolitiFact have said that virtually 75% of what comes out of his mouth is either a lie and we saw it yesterday," said Villaraigosa, who has endorsed Clinton. "Mr. Trump is all bark and no bite."
The former mayor also said he does not think Trump is a conservative, and he is "undermining his party and his nation's values when he talks about deporting, when he says he is going to deport 11 million people," as "no country has ever deported so many people... most people think he can't do that but he certainly says he will."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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