An “undoubtable triumph” for President Claudia Sheinbaum. The Mexican president is a “very intelligent” politician. Sheinbaum “played it well.”
Praise for Mexico’s first female president rolled in on Monday after she announced that she had reached a deal with United States President Donald Trump that included a one-month postponement of the 25% tariff the U.S. government planned to impose on all Mexican exports starting Tuesday.
At least temporarily, the deal averted a crisis for the Mexican economy, which is heavily dependent on income derived from exports sent to the United States.
As part of the agreement, Sheinbaum agreed to bolster security at the northern border with the deployment of 10,000 National Guard troops “to avoid the trafficking of drugs from Mexico to the United States, in particular fentanyl.”
On his program for the media outlet Latinus, high-profile Mexican journalist Carlos Loret de Mola declared that “the president of Mexico bet and she won.”
“… She got another month, she won time, she won oxygen,” he said.
“… So the countdown begins again. It’s an undoubtable triumph for President Sheinbaum. It’s not easy to face up to the president of the United States, especially when we know he’s a man who knows no limits,” Loret de Mola said.
“The war wasn’t won, but a time bomb was defused, or better said minutes were added to the time bomb’s clock. It didn’t explode,” he said.
Sheinbaum’s management of the looming tariff crisis and the outcome she achieved impressed German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
“I believe that the president of Mexico is a very intelligent politician,” he told reporters in Brussels on Monday.
“She played it cool,” Scholz said.
On the X social media platform, former Mexican ambassador to China Jorge Guajardo heaped praise on Sheinbaum’s management of the situation.
Que bien la jugó la Presidenta Sheinbaum. Magistral. Si bien los mandatorios del mundo verán en Petro como no hacerlo, verán en Sheinbaum como hacerlo bien. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
— Jorge Guajardo (@jorge_guajardo) February 3, 2025
“President Sheinbaum played it well. Masterfully,” he wrote.
Guajardo, who also represented Mexico as consul general in Austin, Texas, said that Sheinbaum provided an example to other world leaders on how to deal with a tariff threat from Trump.
While the president said that her administration would respond to Trump’s tariff on Mexican exports with “tariff and non-tariff measures” of its own, she kept the details of the plan under wraps, in contrast to the Canadian government.
Lila Abed, director of the Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute in Washington, said that Sheinbaum “has taken a very cautious and strategic approach to the Trump administration.”
Similarly, political scientist Denise Dresser said Monday that the president “kept a very measured tone” after Trump announced his proposed tariffs. Since Trump took office on Jan. 20, Sheinbaum has said she will maintain a “cool head” when dealing with the U.S. government.
Abed, who was quoted in a Reuters report, noted that Sheinbaum has been “taking actions within her government to send a clear signal to the United States that it understands that fentanyl and organized crime are a top priority for the Trump administration.”
🚨 Inicia el Operativo #FronteraNorte con el despliegue de 10 mil elementos del Ejército y la Guardia Nacional en 6 estados del norte de #México. La medida forma parte del acuerdo con EU para frenar delincuencia y migración.
📸 Especial pic.twitter.com/XkdcTi590O
— La Silla Rota (@lasillarota) February 4, 2025
Ten thousand National Guard agents were sent to Mexico’s border states on Tuesday morning as part of the tariff deal Sheinbaum negotiated with U.S. President Trump.
In recent months, Mexican officials have stressed that they are already taking strong action against narcotics, touting arrests of high-profile cartel figures and large drug seizures, including the confiscation of more than 1 tonne of fentanyl in two busts in Sinaloa in December.
Kevin Hassett, director of the White House’s National Economic Council, said in a television interview on Monday that “one of the things we’ve noticed is that Mexicans are very, very serious about doing what President Trump said.”
The U.S. president wants more action from Mexico and Canada to stem the flow of migrants and drugs to the United States, and would also like to see a reduction in the United States’ trade deficits with its USMCA trade partners.
Abed described Trump’s pause on his proposed tariff on Mexican exports as a “temporary win” for Sheinbaum, which will be “dependent on her ability to produce immediate results on migration and on security.”
One factor in her favor is that encounters between United States immigration authorities and migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border have declined significantly in recent months.
Referring to the two weeks since Trump took office, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a video message on Monday that “already illegal crossings are down 95%.”
Sigue a la baja el tipo de cambio. Comoquiera no hay que confiarse. Un mes es muy poco tiempo y seguro Trump seguirá amenazando a México con el arancel. pic.twitter.com/Uft7CTLjtb
— Gabriela Siller Pagaza (@GabySillerP) February 3, 2025
Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at Banco Base, warned on Monday that one month is a “very short” period of time, and asserted that it was “certain” that Trump would continue to threaten to impose tariffs on Mexican exports.
However, Sheinbaum said she told Trump that she was “sure that in this month we’ll be able to achieve … good results for your people [and] good results for the people of Mexico.”
Trump said on Monday that he likes Sheinbaum “very much” but stressed that “we have to stop fentanyl from coming in … and we have to stop the illegal aliens from coming in.”
“… They’ve agreed to put in 10,000 soldiers, permanently, like for ever, … at their side of the border and stop fentanyl and illegal aliens from coming in to our country. They have a big incentive to do it,” he said.
“Other than that we’ve agreed to talk and consider various other things. We haven’t agreed on tariffs yet, and maybe we will and maybe we won’t,” Trump said.
While Mexico could still face U.S. tariffs, just four months into her presidency, Sheinbaum succeeded in her first major negotiation with Trump, giving her a feather in her cap and even earning her a round of applause from reporters when she strode into her morning press conference on Monday.
“She has been successful in her negotiation strategy,” Abed said, according to Reuters.
“Her being cautious but at the same time strategic and proactive, in terms of trying to derail tariffs, is something that has been really welcome within Mexico,” she said.
MEXICAN LEADER IS VERY CALM, COLLECTED AND KNOWLEDGABLE. IN THE FACE OF TOUGH OPPONENT AND BULLY USA, SHE HANDLED THE CRISIS OF TRADE AND DEPORTEES WITH GRACE AND STRATEGY TO SAVE MEXICO POSSIBLE FUTURE LOSSES BY OFFERING TRUMP GOOD CARROTS AS SHE SEEKS TO CONTROL FUTURE ECONOMIC DAMAGE AND IN SPIRIT OF GOOD FUTURE RELATIONS WITH USA IN THE NATIONAL INTEREST OF MEXICO FUTURE KUDOS TO HER. WISH WE HAD MANY SKILLED AND SASTUTE LEADERS LIKE HER ALL OVER THE WORLD. I SALUTE HER
It’s great to hear your appreciation for the Mexican leader’s handling of the situation with U.S. President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has shown remarkable calm, strategic thinking, and diplomacy in navigating the trade and deportation crises. Her approach of offering “carrots” to Trump while safeguarding Mexico’s interests is commendable.
More leaders with such skills and tact would benefit international relations and cooperation. Do you think her strategies could serve as a model for other countries facing similar challenges?
IMDEED YES.IT’S REMARKABLE GIVEN THE USA PRESIDENT INITIAL HOSTILE REACTION TO MEXICO GENERALLY
Absolutely. Navigating the challenges posed by a powerful and initially hostile neighbour like the United States requires a high level of strategic thinking, diplomacy, and resilience. The Mexican leader’s calm, collected, and knowledgeable approach has been instrumental in mitigating potential conflicts and fostering a spirit of cooperation.
This kind of skilled and astute leadership is invaluable for managing current crises and ensuring long-term stability and positive relations. It’s a testament to the power of diplomacy and the importance of having leaders who can balance national interests with the complexities of international relations.
Thank you for recognising and appreciating such efforts. It’s leaders like her who set a positive example for the world. 🌍✨