Mexico's president calls charges against Trump political
Associated Press
2023/04/06 03:07
FILE - President Donald Trump, right, and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador gesture before signing a joint declaration at the White House ...
FILE - President Donald Trump, right, and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador gesture before signing a joint declaration at the White House in Washington, July 8, 2020. Mexicos president said on April 5, 2023 that he opposes the criminal charges filed against Trump, suggesting they were brought for political reasons during an electoral campaign. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
MEXICO CITY (AP) Mexicos president said Wednesday he opposes the criminal charges filed against former U.S. President Donald Trump, suggesting they were brought for political reasons during an electoral campaign.
President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador said the charges filed in New York against Trump, who is campaigning to regain the presidency in the 2024 election, represented "the degradation of due respect for the law.
I don't agree with what they are doing to former President Trump, Lpez Obrador said at his morning news briefing. I do not know if crimes were committed, it's not my place.
Supposedly legal, judicial issues should not be used for political, electoral purposes, he said. Dont make up crimes to affect adversaries.
Lpez Obrador had a strangely warm relationship with Trump in 2019 and 2020, despite the former U.S. presidents frequent criticisms of Mexico and migrants, and his plans to build a wall between the two countries.
In fact, Lpez Obrador had fewer public disagreements with Trump than with current President Joe Biden.
Analysts say Trump and Lpez Obrador share an essentially transactional view of politics, in which making a deal and sticking to it is highly valued.
Once Lpez Obrador agreed to help retain migrants at the U.S. southwest border, Trump also largely refrained from commenting on issues like corruption, trade disputes and human rights in Mexico, areas where Lpez Obrador is notoriously sensitive to outside criticism.
Trump pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 34 felony counts related to hush money payments made during the 2016 campaign.
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Thursday, April 6, 2023 at 3:07 am