GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump is hinting further at how he’s going to make Mexico pay for his wall along the United States’ southern border, saying one way would be to “start playing with” the trade deficit the U.S. has with Mexico.
“We’re going to have a trade deficit this year of $58 billion, OK?” Mr. Trump said at a town-hall event that aired on MSNBC Wednesday evening. “The wall is going to cost a fraction of that, maybe 10 [billion] or $12 billion, and it’s going to be a real wall. It’s going to be a high wall. It’s going to be a beautiful. It’s going to be a wall that works.”
Mr. Trump had recently estimated the cost of the wall to be about $8 billion.
Asked how he would get Mexico to pay for it, Mr. Trump said: “Very simple. You have five different ways.”
“Number one — here’s the key. They are making, right — if you look at it [as] a company — $58 billion,” he said. “We have a trade deficit with Mexico of $58 billion. All I have to do is start playing with that trade deficit, and believe me, they’re going to pay for the wall. You watch.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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