The Washington Post has obtained a transcript of President Donald Trump ’s first call with Mexico’s President Enrique Peña Nieto, and their exchange, mostly on Trump’s border wall plans, is illuminating.

Trump essentially admitted that he made a hollow promise to voters when it comes to Mexico paying for the wall, and the U.S. president attempted to persuade Peña Nieto to downplay his end of the issue.

The call — which also covered topics of trade and crime — occurred on Jan. 27.

You can read the full transcript here, but we’ve pulled out excerpts of the most telling exchanges below. Check it out.

Who will actually pay for the border wall?

Peña Nieto: “I have recognized the right of any government to protect its borders as it deems necessary and convenient. But my position has been and will continue to be very firm saying that Mexico cannot pay for that wall.”

Trump: “But you cannot say that to the press. The press is going to go with that and I cannot live with that. You cannot say that to the press because I cannot negotiate under those circumstances.”

Peña Nieto: “I understand this critical point and I understand the critical political position that this constitutes for your country and for you, Mr. President. Let us look for a creative way to jump over this obstacle.”

How can economic ties be improved?

Trump: “The United States has a trade deficit with Mexico of $60 billion. And the United States will not have those deficits anymore. We do not mind a small deficit, and we do not mind a little time to get there. But we cannot do this and we cannot sustain like this. We will not be the United States anymore. And we cannot listen to this. I was voted on the basis that we are losing so much money to Mexico in terms of jobs, factories, and plants moving to Mexico. We cannot do this anymore and I have to tell you it is not sustainable.”

Peña Nieto: “Let me tell you that the best virtual wall that I think we can build between our two countries is to make sure that both countries have economic development. And it is exactly on this issue that we have been talking about a more fair trade relationship between our two countries, so we can build this type of framework for that relationship.”

How can the countries combat crime?

Trump: “We are becoming a drug-addicted nation and most the drugs are coming from Mexico or certainly from the southern border. But I will say this – you have that problem too. You have some pretty tough hombres in Mexico that you may need help with, and we are willing to help you with that big-league. But they have to be knocked out and you have not done a good job of knocking them out.”

Peña Nieto: “In terms of security, Mr. President, it is clear that organized crime is just as much our enemy as it is the enemy of your administration.”

Trump: “Enrique, you and I have to knock it out – you and I have to knock the hell out of them. Listen, I know how tough these guys are – our military will knock them out like you never thought of, we will work to help you knock them out because your country does not want that.”

Peña Nieto: “I fully agree that we should work together. And let me tell you that a lot of what is happening in terms of traffickers in Mexico is being largely supported by the illegal amounts of money and weapons coming from the United States. And this has led Mexico to fight against criminal gangs with the participation of the military and the entire army of Mexico. And this has taken many lives within the military and all the elements that are committed in this fight. But they are criminal groups that are well-armed, especially with weapons coming from the United States illegally into Mexico. I fully agree that both governments can work together to knock out and to do away fully with these criminal gangs.”

Read the full transcript here.

Email: abby.hamblin@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @abbyhamblin