Story highlights Peter Schechter: Trump has become the campaign surrogate for Mexico's leftist nationalist, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador

If he wins, it could jeopardize the health of the two countries' increasingly integrated economies, writes Schechter

Peter Schechter is the co-host of the foreign affairs podcast Altamar, which recently released an episode looking at the future of US-Mexico relations. He was previously director of the Atlantic Council's Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center. The views expressed in this commentary are his own.

(CNN) Sometimes President Donald Trump seems hell-bent on turning our southern neighbor into an enemy and our nearly 2,000-mile border with Mexico into a security headache. In doing so, Trump is quickly becoming the principal campaign surrogate for Mexico's leftist nationalist leader Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Now, on the heels of a tense and unproductive fourth round of NAFTA renegotiations, Washington's hostility has become a major political factor in Mexico.

Mexican presidential elections are eight months away. Today, polls are showing Lopez Obrador, known as AMLO, substantially ahead of all others, with former National Action Party leader Margarita Zavala running second. While some analysts say Mexico will never elect a leftist leader, Donald Trump is single-handedly changing that calculation.

Peter Schechter

If AMLO wins, all bets are off. It's hard to overstate how damaging it would be to have antagonistic presidents on both sides of the Rio Grande. It's a dynamic we haven't seen in decades and one that would be quickly exploited by America's rivals. It would also cast into doubt the strategically brilliant play that has been 25 years in the making: creating a globally competitive powerhouse by integrating North America's economies.

But the importance of a strong partnership with Mexico isn't just about the border or even the health of our increasingly integrated economies. It is also about the impressive security cooperation between our nations.