Mexico President Responds to Donald Trump Winning Election

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum sought to ease concerns following Republican President-elect Donald Trump’s November 5 election victory, saying there’s “nothing to worry about” during a press conference on Wednesday.
Trump’s campaign promises—ranging from potential tariffs and mass deportations to the unlikely threat of U.S. military action against crime groups in Mexico—have sparked fears across her country. Sheinbaum aimed to calm those worries.
“There’s no reason to worry. For our compatriots and Mexican entrepreneurs, there’s no reason to worry. Mexico always comes out ahead,” Sheinbaum said in her first comments since the election.
While refraining from a formal congratulations, Sheinbaum stated it would be “prudent to wait” for official results, adding, “We are a free, independent, sovereign country, and I am confident there will be good relations with the United States.”
The United States-Mexico relationship is deeply interdependent, with Mexico as the U.S.’s top trading partner. Sheinbaum, from the left-wing Morena party, had previously committed to cooperating with the next U.S. president, regardless of the election outcome.
With Trump’s return to the White House, many Mexicans are concerned about renewed threats, including tariffs tied to immigration control and mass deportation promises that could affect millions, with up to four million Mexican nationals potentially targeted.
Trump may also resume efforts to expand the border wall and could push Mexico to reinstate the “Remain in Mexico” program, which required asylum seekers to wait in Mexico during the processing of their claims—often at considerable personal risk.
In 2019, during his first presidency, Trump threatened a 5 percent tariff on all Mexican imports, set to increase monthly up to 25 percent, unless Mexico acted to curb illegal immigration. To avoid these tariffs, then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador agreed to deploy the National Guard to the southern border and expand the Migrant Protection Protocols.
Trump frequently referenced this deal at rallies, saying he secured “28,000 soldiers free of charge, no cost, and we had the greatest border in history.” He has also highlighted his “great relationship” with López Obrador, a fellow Morena party member, even while describing him as “a socialist.”
“I had a great relationship with the President of Mexico (López Obrador). He’s retired now. He was a good man—a socialist, but you can’t have everything, right?”
During his previous presidency, Trump made similarly forceful threats. However, in the end, tariffs were limited and temporary, and while he scrapped a trade deal, it was ultimately replaced with a new agreement.
Update 11/06/24, 5:16 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.