Trump Says Mexico ‘Wants to Make a Deal’ as Number of Border Arrests Surges – The New York Times

On Tuesday, Mr. Trump said that it was “more likely that the tariffs” would be imposed. But on Wednesday, the president said he believed Mexico was ready to make a deal to prevent the tariffs from going into effect.

”Mexico, you know, wants to make a deal,” Mr. Trump said during a trip to Ireland. “They have their entire delegation right now going over to probably the White House location to negotiate with our people.”

Mexican officials, along with Republican lawmakers, are trying to prevent Mr. Trump from imposing tariffs on Monday, as he has threatened. Marcelo Ebrard, the Mexican foreign minister, is scheduled to meet on Wednesday afternoon at the White House with Mr. Pence, a senior administration official said, in an effort to convince the president that Mexico is doing everything it can to help prevent illegal immigration across the United States border. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Robert Lighthizer, the United States Trade Representative, were also expected to attend the meeting.

Mr. Trump, frustrated by what he views as Mexico’s failure to stem the flow of migrants, said he would use broad emergency powers to impose punishing tariffs on the country. But top American officials have spoken in vague terms about what steps Mexico must take, and it remains unclear exactly what Mexico could do to persuade Mr. Trump to back down.

Peter Navarro, a top trade adviser who has advocated using levies to punish Mexico, said in an interview with CNN on Wednesday that Mr. Trump’s threat had gotten the Mexican government’s attention and that the United States might not have to impose the tariffs.