From the border wall to refugees, the White House transcripts paint a sobering picture of the president’s conflicting statements

Two-faced Trump: the president says one thing in public, another in private

The transcripts of Donald Trump’s phone calls with the Mexican president, Enrique Peña Nieto, and the Australian prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, released by the Washington Post, confirm the extent to which the president is prepared to say one thing in private and another in public.

'So far from God, so close to the US': Mexico's troubled past with its neighbour Read more

From the importance of a border wall to the nature of his conversations with Turnbull, here are a few of the revelations from the leaked transcripts.

The wall

In private

“This is the least important thing that we are talking about.” – Trump to Peña Nieto.

In public

“We need to build a wall and it has to be built quickly.” – Trump during a Fox News Republican primary debate, 6 August 2015.

“We’re going to build a wall and it’s going to be a serious wall. Just remember that. And you remember I said it.” – Trump to Sean Hannity on 29 February 2016.

The building of the wall was also point No 1 in Trump’s 10-point immigration plan.

And ... here’s a compilation of Trump-wall clips.



Who will pay for the wall

In private

“Let us just say ‘we will work it out’. And if you want to do that, then we will go back to the negotiation table with Jared and Luis. And I am sure they can work something out that is good for both nations, and obviously that would be a positive thing.” – Trump to Peña Nieto.

In public

“Mexico will pay for the wall. 100%.” – Trump on 31 August 2016.

“Mexico will pay for the wall!” – Trump on 1 September 2016.

Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) Mexico will pay for the wall!

“I will build the wall and Mexico is going to pay for it and they’ll be happy to pay for it [...] Trust me, Mexico will pay for it.” – Trump on 31 July 2015.

Here’s a compilation of Trump saying Mexico will pay for the wall.





Leaked Trump transcripts show his incoherent, ill-informed narcissism Read more

New Hampshire

In private:

“I won New Hampshire because New Hampshire is a drug-infested den.” – Trump to Peña Nieto.

In public:

“I love you people. I love you people.” – Trump to the crowd at a New Hampshire rally, 14 August 2015.

Plus: in an interview with MSNBC on 20 August 2015, Trump said of those living in the alleged drug-infested den:



“Those are Trump people.”

And: Trump did not win New Hampshire in the presidential election (although he did in the GOP primary).

The nature of his phone call with Malcolm Turnbull

In private:

“This is the most unpleasant call I’ve had.” – Trump to Turnbull.

In public:

“We had actually a very nice call [...] we had a very nice phone call.” – Trump at a joint appearance with Turnbull in New York City, 4 May 2017.



“Thank you to Prime Minister of Australia for telling the truth about our very civil conversation that FAKE NEWS media lied about. Very nice!”

