President Trump sent a handwritten note to over a dozen members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus informing them that he would not cancel his meeting on Wednesday with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, as they had requested.
Why it matters: The caucus of Democratic lawmakers had denounced López Obrador's visit to celebrate the newly enacted United States-Mexico-Canada trade deal as "a blatant attempt to politicize the important U.S.-Mexico relationship” and distract from the pandemic. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, meanwhile, turned down the White House's invitation on Monday.
- "While this meeting may appear to be trade related and tied to the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), it is nothing more than an attempt to distract from the coronavirus crisis and your failure to lead an adequate response to the pandemic," the lawmakers wrote.
- "In border states such as Texas and Arizona, COVID-19 is out of control and your lack of leadership has already resulted in the deaths of more the 120,000 Americans and the gravest economic disaster since the Great Depression, both of which are decimating Latino communities."
What he's saying: "CHC - Thank you for your very nice letter," Trump wrote in what appeared to be Sharpie. "He is my friend and a wonderful man. I look forward to meeting with the president. Will be good (& important) for both Mexico & the USA."
Read the letter via DocumentCloud.
