Latino

Mexican presidential candidate threatens Twitter tit-for-tat with Trump

by Rafael Bernal - 01/18/18 9:34 PM ET

The frontrunner in Mexico’s presidential campaign said Thursday he’ll personally respond on social media after President Trump called Mexico the “number one most dangerous country in the world” on Twitter.

Andrés Manuel López Obrador, a populist, left-wing former mayor of Mexico City, said that, as president, he would demand fair treatment from Trump, Mexico’s Reforma newspaper reported.

“Without disrespecting [Trump], we’re going to put him in his place, we’re going to make him come to his senses,” said López Obrador. “We’re going to respect President Donald Trump, but he’s going to have to learn to respect us.”

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López Obrador also criticized Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto for responding to Trump through official channels.

“Peña doesn’t reply, Trump scared him since he called him on the telephone, he raised his voice and shut him up, but with us it’s different,” said López Obrador.

López Obrador dismissed Trump’s comments about Mexico.

“Every time [Trump] does what he did today, he’ll have a direct response, it’s not that I’ll send word with the foreign secretary. No. He uses his Twitter, his Face[book], I will use it too, and then I’ll send him word of what I think. If he doesn’t touch us and he respects us, there won’t be a problem,” said López Obrador.

López Obrador isn’t known for his social media savvy, unlike Trump. The two-time Mexican presidential runner-up joined the social media platform in October 2009, seven months after Trump, but has tweeted 3,496 times to Trump’s 36,800.

Tags Donald Trump