Trump boasted about his 'secret' deal with Mexico while waving a piece of paper explaining exactly how it works

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Trump boasted about his 'secret' deal with Mexico while waving a piece of paper explaining exactly how it works

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U.S. President Trump paper mexico deal

Reuters

Donald Trump holds copy of regional asylum plan as he departs the White House in Washington on Tuesday.

  • Donald Trump boasted that details of his new Mexico deal were "secret," but wafted notes around showing how it worked.
  • Trump addressed reporters outside the White House on Tuesday, and repeatedly got out a white A4 sheet which bore details of Friday's deal.
  • Zoomed-in photographs taken by news agencies captured several sections of text, which reveal some terms of the deal. 
  • One section says Mexico has "within 45 days" to slow the flow of migrants to the US. The information isn't secret as the step was announced by Mexican foreign minister Marcelo Ebrard on Monday.
  • The photos also show text implying Mexico should become a safe third country for people claiming asylum in the US while US courts process their claims. Mexico has not yet publicly agreed to this.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

President Donald Trump was photographed holding a piece of paper clearly showing details of a deal with Mexico over immigration on Tuesday, despite claiming the deal itself is "secret."

Trump brandished a folded sheet of white A4 paper while giving a statement outside the White House, which was captured by multiple photographers. 

Text on the paper can clearly be made out, and appears to show details of Trump's plans, including the words: "The Government of Mexico will take all necessary steps under domestic law to bring the agreement into force with a view to ensuring that the agreement will enter into force within 45 days."

According to Reuters, the president referred to the deal as "secret."

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U.S. President Trump mexico plan paper

Reuters

Trump wafts a copy of the regional asylum plan as he departs for travel to Iowa from the White House in Washington.

On Monday, Mexico's foreign minister Marcelo Ebrard told a press conference the US had given Mexico 45 days to slow the flow of South and Central American migrants passing through Mexico bound for the US.

Read more: Democratic presidential candidates hammer Trump over deal with Mexico

Text on the paper also referred to the "burden-sharing" of migrants.

This revolves around Mexico becoming a "safe third country" for Central American migrants destined for the US, a detail also previously reported on by the US and Mexican media.

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On Monday, Ebrard said Mexico has so far rejected any burden sharing agreement.

 

While brandishing the paper Trump told reporters: "Here's the agreement. It's a very simple agreement. This is one page. This is one page of a very long and very good agreement for both Mexico and the United States."

Read more: Trump is touting a farm deal with Mexico that doesn't seem to exist

 

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The New York Times reported on Saturday that Trump had framed parts of his Mexico deal as brand new and revelatory despite them having already been agreed months ago.

Mexico's promise that the National Guard would be sent to sure-up the southern border was actually agreed in March 2019, the Times wrote, and the revelation that asylum-seekers would have to wait in Mexico while US courts made their decisions was tentatively agreed in December 2018.

Trump tweeted the story was "shockingly false and untrue" on Sunday, and that the Times "knew it was Fake News before it went out."

The New York Times is standing by its story.

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Trump Nieto Mexico

Reuters/Henry Romero

Donald Trump and Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto arrive for a press conference at the Los Pinos residence in Mexico City.

The deal ended a proposed 5% tariff on imports from Mexico, which Trump said was punishment for an influx of migrants "coming into our Country from Mexico."

Trump had also threatened to increase tariffs to 10% in July, 15% in August, 20% in September, and 25% in October, if Mexico did not try to slow the flow of migrants.

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