CBS News’ “Face the Nation” reports that U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) accused President Donald Trump of treating famers “like poker chips basically at one of his bankrupt casinos.”
Video of the presidential candidate’s statements is available here.
Klobuchar made the remarks over the president’s trade battle with Mexico. She also called Trump the “threatener-in-chief.”
Klobuchar’s claimed issue was that America needs a “consistent, strong trade policy that works for everyone in America.”
As Battleground State News reported on Sunday, the president claimed his trade strategy worked.
Trump claimed a victory in obtaining Mexico’s concession to crack down on the flood of Central American migrants into the United States. In return, Trump called off plans to impose a 5% tax on Mexican exports. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin urged China to follow suit and return to stalled negotiations.
One media report clouds the issue of how far Trump’s Mexico deal goes.
The president dropped hints at “secret” agreements he will announce soon in response to criticism his deal mostly handles border protection efforts that are already happening, Yahoo News reported. However, Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, denied that.
Over the weekend, Trump claimed that Mexico had “AGREED TO IMMEDIATELY BEGIN BUYING LARGE QUANTITIES OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT FROM OUR GREAT PATRIOT FARMERS!” The administration has yet to reveal the details of any such provision, and Mexican officials say no agreement on farm goods was reached as part of the talks.
Ebrard said there is no secret announcement and that if migration goals are not met in 45 days, there will be new talks in which Mexico will propose creating a regional refuge system with the United Nations and other governments.
Trump made the agricultural claim on Twitter on Saturday.
MEXICO HAS AGREED TO IMMEDIATELY BEGIN BUYING LARGE QUANTITIES OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT FROM OUR GREAT PATRIOT FARMERS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 8, 2019
On Sunday, the president tweeted, “…..not mentioned in yesterday press release, one in particular, were agreed upon. That will be announced at the appropriate time. There is now going to be great cooperation between Mexico & the USA, something that didn’t exist for decades. However, if for some unknown reason…”
…..not mentioned in yesterday press release, one in particular, were agreed upon. That will be announced at the appropriate time. There is now going to be great cooperation between Mexico & the USA, something that didn’t exist for decades. However, if for some unknown reason…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2019
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan discussed the Mexican border agreement during an interview on “Fox News Sunday.” He said the tariff threat worked.
The video is available here.
Addressing a question about the mystery announcement, McAleenan said there “is a mechanism to make sure they do what they promised to do.”
Even as Klobuchar trashes the president’s Mexico deal, she and Beto O’Rourke are dueling for No. 6 and 7 positions – at 2 percent support – in a poll by CNN/Des Moines Register/MEDIACOM.
This polling comes as the 24 Democratic presidential primary candidates prepare for the first debate, split over two nights, on June 26-27, in Miami, according to a story by Florida Politics.
The Democratic National Committee is splitting the debate with half of the candidates appearing each night through a combination of unique campaign donors and other factors.
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Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes.
