Story highlights
Former Mexican President Felipe Calderon says Mexico would never pay for Trump's proposed wall
He called it a "stupid wall"
One of Donald Trump’s most familiar refrains recently met hard opposition from a key voice – the former president of Mexico.
Former Mexican President Felipe Calderon told CNBC on Saturday that Mexico would never pay for Trump’s proposed wall.
“Mexican people, we are not going to pay any single cent for such a stupid wall, and they need to know that,” Calderon said. “And it’s going to be completely useless.”
Calderon was referring to one of Trump’s signature proposals, the construction of a massive border-wall between the United States and Mexico for which he says Mexico will foot the bill.
Trump, at a rally in Manchester, New Hampshire, Monday night, said Calderon’s comments just make him want to build a bigger wall.
“The head of Mexico today said, ‘There’s no way we’re gonna pay for that wall, please inform Mr. Trump,’” Trump said. “I said the wall’s just gonna get bigger when he has that attitude.”
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Erecting the wall, along with the deportation of every undocumented immigrant in the United States of America, makes up much of the immigration stance that has endeared the real estate mogul to voters across the country.
On the score of Trump’s presidential prospects, Calderon demurred somewhat.
“If the people of the United States is able to elect someone like him,” Calderon paused and smiled before adding, “Dot, dot, dot.”
CNN’s Noah Gray contributed to this report.