Here are the news clips for the visit to Washington of Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador:
Mexican Leader Vows ‘Dignity’ at Trump’s Side; Critics Fear Humiliation
NEW YORK TIMES: Before heading out for his first state visit to the United States, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the firebrand president of Mexico known for excoriating his foes in long-winded tirades, made a surprising promise to his people.
He vowed to be strong and not embarrass Mexico on his first trip abroad to meet President Trump, a man seen by many Mexicans as their nation’s chief antagonist.
“I am going to represent you and have no doubt, I will do as you all deserve, with decorum and a lot of dignity,” he said.
It was an exceptional statement for Mr. López Obrador, whose unapologetic manner has been a hallmark since he came to office in 2018 with a landslide and a sweep of both houses of Congress.
Krauz: López Obrador’s diplomacy of subservience at the White House
WASHINGTON POST: On Wednesday, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador visited President Trump as part of his first official international trip, but the day’s agenda in Washington offered no clues as to what made the trip really necessary in the first place, especially in the middle of a pandemic.
In the morning, rather than requesting to meet with Democratic lawmakers or immigrant groups, López Obrador placed floral wreaths at the Lincoln Memorial and at a statue of Mexican leader Benito Juárez. His meeting with Trump at the White House was carefully choreographed, meant to set the stage for a photo-op to celebrate the beginning of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the new trade pact that has replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement.
In his remarks, López Obrador thanked Trump for his kindness toward Mexico — a truly bizarre statement directed at one of the most xenophobic presidents of modern times. What the Mexican leader gained from this visit might remain a mystery, but Trump will surely use Wednesday’s signing ceremony as a campaign prop.
Trump, López Obrador Tout Cooperation
WALL STREET JOURNAL: Presidents Donald Trump and Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico stood beside each other Wednesday to proclaim their friendship while pledging to work together as neighbors on migration, trade and efforts to counter drug trafficking.
Mr. Trump said the U.S.-Mexico relationship had never been better.
Mr. López Obrador said U.S.-Mexico relations were strong and repeatedly thanked Mr. Trump for working with Mexico and refraining from taking jabs at its people. “You have not treated us as a colony but as an independent nation,” Mr. López Obrador said standing side-by-side with Mr. Trump in the Rose Garden. “That’s why I’m here, to express to the American people that your president has treated us with kindness and respect.”
Mr. Trump, who came into office railing against drugs and illegal immigration from Mexico, praised the U.S.’s friend to the south. “The relationship between the United States and Mexico has never been closer than it is right now,” Mr. Trump said.
Trump, AMLO celebrate odd bromance in Washington mini-summit
ALJAZEERZA: United States President Donald Trump, who has denigrated Mexican migrants and threatened its southern ally with crippling tariffs, welcomed Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to the White House on Wednesday, calling him a cherished partner and claiming the countries’ economic and security ties were reaching new heights.
Trump’s warm words were a stark contrast to the days when he called Mexicans “rapists” and railed against migrants entering the US illegally. Lopez Obrador had cordial words for Trump, too, saying that while they have disagreed, it was better to find common ground and avoid slinging insults.
Trump has dialled back his harsh words since Lopez Obrador took office a year and a half ago. And Lopez Obrador signalled he wanted to put the insults in the past.
Rodriguez: Why Mexico’s president is buddies with Trump despite years of insults
POLITICO: resident Donald Trump for years has insulted Mexicans with his promises to build a border wall to keep out migrants, criminals, drugs and, most recently, the coronavirus. But that’s not stopping Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador from heading to the White House for his first face-to-face meeting with Trump on Wednesday.
López Obrador, a lifelong populist and face of Mexico’s left, actually has a lot in common with Trump. They’ve built a relationship based on their respect for each other’s nationalist, authoritarian tendencies and their ability to stay out of each other’s way on domestic issues.
Trump forgoes insults of past, calls Mexico cherished friend
ASSOCIATED PRESS: President Donald Trump, who has denigrated Mexican migrants and threatened the U.S. ally with crippling tariffs, welcomed President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to the White House on Wednesday, called him a cherished partner and claimed the countries’ economic and security ties were reaching new heights.
Trump’s warm words were in stark contrast to the days when he called Mexicans “rapists” and railed against migrants entering the United States illegally. López Obrador had cordial words for Trump, too, saying that while they have disagreed, it was better to find common ground and avoid slinging insults.
The meeting was billed as a celebration of economic ties and the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, but critics in Mexico worried López Obrador was being used as a political pawn to bolster the Trump campaign and his “America first,” anti-illegal migration agenda. Despite the verbal backslapping in the Rose Garden, thorny issues — from immigration to investment — remain.
Mexican president lauds Trump despite past threats, insults against Mexicans
FRANCE 24: Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador lavished praise on President Donald Trump at their first meeting on Wednesday, saying the U.S. leader treated Mexico with respect despite his history of threatening tariffs and insulting Mexicans.
The leftist Mexican leader made his first foreign trip as president to the White House, where he and Trump accentuated the positive in their public remarks while largely glossing over their differences on business, illegal drugs and migration.
“What I most appreciate is that you have never tried to impose anything on us that violates or damages our sovereignty,” Lopez Obrador said in Spanish, turning to look at Trump as the two spoke in the Rose Garden before signing a joint declaration.
“You have never attempted to treat us like a colony,” he added. “I am here to say to the people of the United States that your president has treated us with kindness and respect.”
Trump, Lopez Obrador celebrate USMCA with joint declaration
UPI: President Donald Trump and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador signed a joint declaration on Wednesday in celebration of the new North American trade deal.
For his first trip outside Mexico since his 2018 election, Lopez Obrador visited Trump to mark the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which formally replaced the Clinton-era North American Free Trade Agreement on July 1.
“The USMCA reaffirms our shared understanding that North America is a region that generates prosperity for all of its citizens and it strengthens our cooperation in fighting corruption through the strongest disciplines on corruption in international trade of any international agreement,” the declaration stated.
The two leaders, who have often been critical of each other in the past, praised each other, with Trump saying that the relationship between the two countries is “all very positive.”
Trump meets Mexican president at White House, despite Democratic objections
FOX NEWS: President Trump met with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador at the White House on Wednesday in Lopez Obrador’s first foreign trip as president — and despite complaints from Democrats that the meeting was politically motivated.
Trump and Lopez Obrador held a bilateral meeting in the White House before signing a joint declaration in the Rose Garden, where both leaders paid tribute to the U.S.-Mexican relationship.
“The relationship between U.S. and Mexico has never been closer than it is right now,” Trump said.
Trump said the U.S. is home to 36 million Mexican-Americans and that they make up a “big percentage” of small business owners: “They’re like you, they’re tough negotiators and great business people, Mr. President.”
Editor’s Note: The main image accompanying the above news clips shows Donald Trump, right, and Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, holding up joint declarations after being signed during a ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on July 8. (Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg)
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