Donald Trump bemoaned Thursday the resignation of Mexico’s finance minister, praising Luis Videgaray as someone who could have made “wonderful deals” with the United States.
Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto announced Wednesday that Videgaray is exiting his cabinet, a week after Trump visited the country. Peña Nieto was widely criticized for Trump’s visit, which two sources told CNN was orchestrated by Videgaray.
In announcing Videgaray’s departure, Peña Nieto praised him but did not explain why he was leaving.
On Thursday afternoon, Trump expressed regret over the cabinet shake-up.
“Mexico has lost a brilliant finance minister and wonderful man who I know is highly respected by President Peña Nieto,” Trump tweeted. “With Luis, Mexico and the United States would have made wonderful deals together – where both Mexico and the US would have benefitted.”
Trump’s spontaneous trip to Mexico last week gave him an opportunity to be seen with a world leader in Peña Nieto, but it was ultimately overshadowed by public disputes over what was addressed in the meeting. The Republican nominee has vowed repeatedly to build a wall on the southwestern US border — and to make Mexico pay for it — but he claimed that he and Peña Nieto “didn’t discuss payment of the wall.”
Peña Nieto later tweeted that he “made it clear that Mexico will not pay for the wall” at the outset of his conversation with Trump.