The Trump Administration Can’t Decide How It Feels About Mexico
The Trump administration is displaying a contradictory approach to Mexico, with some officials praising bilateral cooperation on security and trade while others threaten military action against cartels. This 'doble discurso' has created confusion for Mexican officials regarding U.S. policy intentions.
Why it matters
The inconsistency in U.S. foreign policy toward a major neighbor and trade partner creates diplomatic instability and complicates cross-border security efforts.
Officials are veering between praise for cooperation and threats to attack.
Brendan Smialowski / AFP / Getty September 3, 2026, 10 AM ET Share Save T o hear Ronald D. Johnson tell it , the United States and Mexico have entered an era of blissful cooperation. Johnson, a former Army and intelligence officer who took up his post as U.S. ambassador to Mexico in the spring of 2025, has chronicled on his social-media feeds joint efforts to incapacitate drug cartels, tackle the screwworm pandemic, halt illegal immigration, imprison wildlife traffickers, dismantle criminal finance networks, and expand soybean exports. That’s just over the past two weeks.
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