President Donald Trump called on fellow Republicans to help him enact “great and lasting change” at a party retreat Thursday. His spokesman said the president will seek a 20 percent tax on Mexican imports to pay for a proposed border wall.
The president was greeted by cheers as he took the stage in a hotel ballroom, telling senators and House members, “This Congress is going to be the busiest Congress in decades—maybe ever.”
He addressed lawmakers shortly after Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto canceled a trip to Washington next week for his first meeting with the new president due to their disagreement over which of their countries would pay to build Trump’s promised wall on the border between them.
The wall is part of Trump’s plan to halt illegal immigration to the U.S., and he has long insisted that Mexico will pay. Pena Nieto insists his country will not.
On the flight back to Washington, White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters traveling with the president that Trump will seek to impose a 20 percent tax on Mexican imports to pay for the wall. Congressional approval would be needed for such a step.
But then later, at the White House, Spicer said the 20 percent tax is one of several options under consideration and that Trump hasn’t settled on it as the way to recoup construction costs for building the wall.
