"The wall will be paid for very easily… by Mexico," Trump said.
However, Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Minister Luis Videgaray Caso fired back in a statement on Twitter saying that Mexico "will never pay for a wall" a position he said was clear from the beginning.
We just reached a trade understanding with the US, and the outlook for the relationship between our two countries is very positive. We will NEVER pay for a wall, however. That has been absolutely clear from the very beginning.
— Luis Videgaray Caso (@LVidegaray) 28 августа 2018 г.
The issue of undocumented migration has long been a stumbling bloc in Mexico's relations with the United States. Moreover, building the border wall has been a major campaign pledge and central issue for Trump. However, the wall project has proven contentious as Trump originally claimed Mexico would pay for building it while the Mexican government repeatedly said it would not.
READ MORE: Trump Says Construction of Wall on US Border With Mexico Already Started
Trump said last week that the United States has already spent $3.5 billion building the wall on the Mexican border.
However, the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in early August that the CBP has failed to analyze the cost of constructing barriers in potential locations along the southwestern border. According to the GAO, the costs for putting up barriers along the US-Mexico border may vary depending on the topography, land ownership and other factors and CBP lacks complete information for building barriers in the most cost-effective manner.
READ MORE: Trump's New Deal With Mexico Lacks Detail on Items Achieved — US Senator