Mr. Trump might have a fuzzier idea of the pain Mexico, its people furious and its pride wounded by his taunts and contempt, might inflict on the United States. Consider, too, the effect on America’s southern border if Mexico were to loosen immigration controls on its own southern border — the one over which Central American refugees are already streaming north in near-record numbers. U.S. and Mexican officials work closely on an array of other bilateral concerns, from drug trafficking and organized crime to human smuggling and antiterrorism programs. In launching his presidential campaign, Mr. Trump called Mexicans rapists, and he has taunted the Mexican government at every turn. If the goal was to widen bilateral cooperation and soothe the harsh feelings Mr. Trump has engendered with our neighbor and ally, the timing was pitiable.

Source: Washington Post February 23, 2017 00:34 UTC