U.S. Election: Trump vs. Kamala. Who is Better for Mexico?

Due to the power, wealth and influence of the United States of America, people in other countries are interested in who is going to win a U.S. presidential election. They try to figure out which presidential candidate they think would be better for their country.

So there is much attention given to the U.S. election throughout the world.

The 2024 U.S. presidential election is scheduled for Tuesday, November 5th. This election looks to be a close one, pitting Democrat Vice-President Kamala Harris against Republican former President Donald Trump.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum was asked about the U.S. election and its effect on Mexico in an October 8th press conference.

A reporter asked (my translation): “On another topic, President, about the U.S. elections. What would be the best scenario for Mexico, if Donald Trump wins or Kamala Harris wins?”
President Sheinbaum replied: “We are going to work with whichever one wins the election, the presidente [male president] or the presidenta [female president].
Our constitution is very clear in not taking sides for one or the other option; whatever the American people decide, we are going to work with him or her…with whichever of them that wins the election we are going to work well.”

That was a good answer, and realistic. Why publicly pick sides in a foreign election?

The truth is, the president of Mexico has to work with the U.S. president regardless of who it is.
To see why, look at the map:

The U.S. and Mexico are neighbors and trading partners. U.S. prosperity is good for Mexico, and Mexican prosperity and stability are good for the United States.

On the controversial topic of immigration from Mexico to the United States, we can expect the government of Mexico (regardless of party) to defend Mexican illegal aliens in the United States and to complain about any crackdowns on them.

Mexico, however, is not just a source of emigration to the United States. It’s also a thoroughfare for migration, with non-Mexicans passing through Mexico to get to the United States.

Let’s look at how AMLO, the previous president of Mexico, dealt with the current and previous presidents of the United States on immigration policy.

AMLO and TRUMP

From December of 2018 to January of 2021, AMLO (Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador) was President of Mexico while Donald Trump was President of the United States.

Trump and AMLO got along quite well, both policy-wise and personally.

Trump wanted the Mexican government to reduce the quantity of non-Mexicans entering the U.S. across the Mexican border and AMLO did that. AMLO also agreed to the Remain in Mexico policy, under which non-Mexican asylum seekers had to remain on the Mexican side of the border while awaiting asylum hearings.

Aside from the policy, AMLO exhibited respect toward Trump even in the bitter end of the latter’s presidential term. In the aftermath of the 2020 U.S. election, AMLO waited 6 weeks to recognize Biden as the winner and criticized the expulsion of Trump from Twitter.

AMLO and BIDEN

AMLO also got along with President Joe Biden. AMLO and Biden were presidents together from January of 2021 to October 1st of 2024.

The Biden administration’s border policy was radically different than Trump’s. Under Biden, the border was drastically loosened, allowing millions of migrants to enter and settle in the U.S. AMLO went along with this also, and spoke well of Biden for not building more border walls.

But then, in December of 2023, with the border situation looking bad for Biden politically, the Biden administration asked AMLO to once again reduce the quantity of non-Mexicans crossing into the United States. So that’s what AMLO did.

This is not, by the way, some crazy conspiracy theory. AMLO freely admitted it in his 60 Minutes Interview in March.
-Interviewer Sharyn Alfonsi “President Biden called you. He sent his Secretary of State. What did they say to you and what did they ask for from you?”
– AMLO [in Spanish/English translation]: “For us to try and contain the flow of migration.”

CONCLUSION

The real question is not which U.S. candidate is “better” for Mexico, as Mexico has to work with whomever wins. As far as solving Mexico’s problems, that’s the responsibility of Mexico’s own leaders, not the U.S. or any other country, just as it’s up to the U.S. to solve its own problems.

The U.S. is about to choose its next president and President Claudia Sheinbaum has pledged to work with whomever that is, whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump. In a similar fashion, previous Mexican President AMLO worked with both Trump and then Biden.

So who’s going to win the U.S. election? That’s the big question now…