Trump now warns 'something' must be done with Mexico

After the U.S. bombed Venezuela in the middle of the night and abducted President Nicolas Maduro, President Donald Trump was quick to threaten legitimately-elected governments in the region. In particular, Trump implied a hazy future conflict with Mexico in an interview with Fox News Saturday morning.

“So, was this operation a message that you’re sending to Mexico, to Claudia Sheinbaum, the president there?” Fox’s Griff Jenkins asked.

“Well, it wasn’t meant to be, we’re very friendly with her, she’s a good woman,” Trump said, “but the cartels are running Mexico. She’s not running Mexico. We could be politically correct and be nice and say, ‘Oh, yes, she is.’ No, no. She’s very, you know, she’s very frightened of the cartels. They’re running Mexico. And I’ve asked her numerous times, ‘Would you like us to take out the cartels?’ ... Something is gonna have to be done with Mexico.”

Social media wasted no time reacting to Trump’s proposition of interfering with the government of a U.S. ally.

“The atmosphere in which The World Cup will be held in less than 6 months' time in Mexico, USA & Canada. Is he going to 'capture' her too??!” said BAFTA-winning filmmaker Sara Afshar on X.

“Polls showed Americans were already quite uncertain about invading Venezuela,” said CNN reporter Aaron Blake on X. “Just hours later, Trump is talking about strikes in Mexico, too.”

Democratic candidate Fred Wellman slammed the Republican-dominated Congress for making Trump’s unilateral moves possible in the first place.

“This is what happens when the Executive is unchecked by Congress,” Wellman said on X. “He is empowered to do whatever he wants. He knows the Doormat Congress will do whatever he wants so now he is talking about attacking our ally and neighbor because no one will say ‘no.’"

New York Health Executive Director Melanie D’Arrigo questioned the president’s motivations, arguing, “if Trump cared about drugs he wouldn’t have pardoned the Silk Road founder whose online platform let drug dealers sell more than $200 million in illegal drugs … or the former President of Honduras, convicted of conspiring to import over 400 tons of cocaine into the U.S. … and dozens of other drug traffickers.”

Other critics were more nihilistic, with one posting “Mexico is next on the list. They don’t have oil, but they do have avocados.”