Former Mexican President Vicente Fox told news media Thursday that he believes Donald Trump would pose a significant risk to U.S.-Mexico relations if he is elected president. He also apologized for disparaging remarks he made about the Republican candidate in February. File Photo by Kevork Djansezian/UPI |
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SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 5 (UPI) -- In a sudden about-face, former Mexican president Vicente Fox has apologized for making derogatory and profane comments about Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump earlier this year, and even extended an invitation to go south of the border.
In an interview with Breitbart News, the former leader partially buried the hatchet that he used to beat Trump over the head about the candidate's plans to have a wall built on Mexico's border with the United States.
In February, Fox slammed the billionaire's plans to build the wall, and have the Mexican government pay for it, and called Trump "ignorant," "crazy," and "nasty."
Trump subsequently responded by promising that "the wall just got 10 feet taller" and asked for Fox to apologize. Thursday, he did.
"I apologize. Forgiveness is one of the greatest qualities that human beings have, is the quality of a compassionate leader," Fox said. "You have to be humble. You have to be compassionate. You have to love thy neighbor, love your nation, love the world."
"I'm humble enough [to be a] compassionate leader. If I offended you, I'm sorry. But what about the other way around?" he added.
The former Mexican leader continued by saying that, if elected, Trump could likely use some help with various issues like trade.
"I don't think he should follow the strategy of attacking others, offending others, to get to his purpose. There are other ways and means of doing it," He said. "I invite him to come to Mexico and to see what Mexico is all about.
"I can convince him to think intelligently."
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks about
immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border in Laredo, Texas, in July 2015. Thursday, former Mexican President Vicente Fox apologized for making disparaging remarks about Trump earlier this year over the businessman's plan to build a large wall between both nations -- and have Mexico pay for it -- if he is elected president. File Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/UPI
Despite the apology, Fox didn't entirely backtrack with regard to a possible Trump administration.
"He's a false prophet. He is proposing ideas that will not work," he told Bloomberg. "He's not presenting things in the right context."
"We have been offended by his language, but mostly we are worried about his thinking" he added.
As of Thursday afternoon, Trump had not publicly responded to Fox's remarks or invitation.
Since opening his campaign for president, Trump has been particularly outspoken about immigration. While stating that he supports Mexican Americans, he put some people off by calling for the massive wall and implying that porous border security allows "rapists" and "murderers" to cross from Mexico into the United States.
He further angered some advocates by later stating that all Muslims should be temporarily banned from entering the United States until the government's fight against terrorism is under control.
