Trump says he and Mexican leader discussed wall, not payment

Mexico City, Sep 1 (AP) Standing alongside the presidentof Mexico, a measured Donald Trump defended the right of theUnited States to build a massive border wall along itssouthern flank, but he declined to repeat his frequent promiseto force Mexico to pay for it. Trump, the US presidential candidate who is widelydespised across Mexico, also sidestepped his repeatedcriticism of Mexican immigrants following a closed-doormeeting yesterday at the official residence of the country’spresident, Enrique Pena Nieto. Trump and Pena Nieto, who has compared the New Yorkbillionaire to Adolf Hitler, addressed reporters from adjacentpodiums flanked by a Mexican flag. "We did discus the wall. We didn’t discuss payment of thewall," Trump said yesterday. In his announcement of his presidential candidacy lastyear, Trump derided Mexico as a source of rapists andcriminals coming to the US, and his presence yesterday sparkedanger and protests across the capital city. A former Mexican president bluntly told the celebritybusinessman that, despite Pena Nieto’s hospitality, he was notwelcome. "We don’t like him. We don’t want him. We reject hisvisit," former President Vicente Fox told CNN, calling thetrip a "political stunt." Pena Nieto was less combative as he addressed reportersalongside Trump. He acknowledged the two men had differences,but he described their conversation as "open andconstructive." They shook hands as the session ended. The trip, a politically risky move for Trump 10 weeksbefore America’s presidential Election Day, came just hoursbefore the Republican nominee was to deliver a highlyanticipated speech in Arizona about illegal immigration. That has been a defining issue of Trump’s presidentialcampaign, but also one on which he’s appeared to waver inrecent days. After saying during his Republican primary campaign hewould use a "deportation force" to expel all of the estimated11 million people living in the United States illegally, Trumpsuggested last week he could soften that stance. But he stillsays he plans to build a huge wall — paid for by Mexico –along the two nations’ border. He is under pressure to clarify just where he stands in aspeech that’s been rescheduled several times as he and hisstaff has sent varied and conflicting messages on the issue.(AP)BSA