The defining promise of Donald Trump’s campaign for President is to build a wall and have Mexico pay for it. Needless to say, the Mexican government has reacted with fury. Mexican officials specifically denied they would ever pay for the wall. But, as Trump no doubt knows, there are several easy tools America can use to have Mexico fund Trump’s great symbol of American independence

Perhaps Mexican leaders know it too. One can’t help but notice desperation in the fiery denials from February and March:

Former president Felipe Calderon (2006-2012), speaking in Cairo, said in English that “Mexican people, we are not going to pay any single cent for such a stupid wall! " (Applause)

[Mexico won't pay a cent for Trump's 'stupid wall', by Holly Ellyat and Hadley Gamble, CNBC, February 8, 2016

In an interview with Jorge Ramos, former president Vicente Fox (2000-2006) lapsed into profanity, in English (!), declaring “I’m not gonna pay for that f——-g wall”. He also called the 44% of Hispanics in the Nevada primary “followers of a false prophet” and wanted to “know who those Hispanics are” [Former Mexican President Vicente Fox to Trump: We're "Not Paying For That F***ing Wall, by Tim Hains, Real Clear Politics, February 25, 2016]

In an interview with Jorge Ramos, former president Vicente Fox (2000-2006) lapsed into profanity, in English (!), declaring “I’m not gonna pay for that f——-g wall”. He also called the 44% of Hispanics in the Nevada primary “followers of a false prophet” and wanted to “know who those Hispanics are” [Former Mexican President Vicente Fox to Trump: We're "Not Paying For That F***ing Wall, by Tim Hains, Real Clear Politics, February 25, 2016] The next day, in an interview on Fox Business News with Maria Bartiromo, Fox repeated himself, with the same expletive [Former Mexican president curses at Trump on live TV, by Neetzan Zimmerman, The Hill, February 26, 2016]

Calderon seemed to think Fox had upped the ante, so he went the full Godwin’s Law and explicitly compared Trump to Hitler. He also concern-trolled Americans, saying Trump “represents a danger to the United States because, with his racism, “He is sowing anti-American seed throughout the world” [ Calderón llama racista a Trump; lo compara con Hitler , by Ivonne Melgar, Excelsior, February 28, 2016].

I don’t know, anti-Americanism seemed to be going pretty strong before Trump ever became a candidate.

In the same interview, Calderon added that the wall would be “totally useless” because Mexican emigration to the U.S. has been diminishing the past five years.

Well, if that’s true—it’s not, illegal immigration seems to be surging again—then why does he care?

Calderon attacks Trump by using the race card, which is interesting as Calderon is himself white, but as we know Mexico's white elite uses such rhetoric to tacitly encourage darker-skinned Mexicans to exit the country. Here's what Calderon also said

I believe that this logic of exalting white supremacy is not even acting against migration. Donald is a descendant of migrants. He is acting and speaking of migrants who have a color distinct to him. He is frankly racist. And it’s a little like the exploitation of sensitive nerves that, in his day, Hitler himself did.”

“When an apple’s red, it is red. When you say ignorant things, you’re ignorant,” said Foreign Affairs Secretary Claudia Ruiz Massieu, Mexico’s top diplomat. “It is impossible to think of a 2,000-mile border being walled off and trade between our two countries stopped,” Ruiz Massieu said. “It is impractical, inefficient, wrong and, frankly, it is not an intelligent thing to do.” As for Mexico paying for Trump’s proposed wall, she said: “It is not a proposition we would even consider. It is an impossible proposition.” [Mexico’s top diplomat calls Trump’s policies ‘ignorant and racist,’ by Kevin Sullivan and Mary Jordan, February 27, 2016]

She said the Mexican government would respond to Trump’s rise by urging Mexican Americans in the United States to “participate and become heard in the electoral process, which is not over yet.” “I’m optimistic that people will stand up for themselves and vote in accordance to their values and their views,” she said.

Excelsior: “Is there any scenario in which Mexico would pay for the wall on the border?” EPN: …., there is no scenario ….I cannot have a point of coincidence with this positioning that we have observed in this American political actor [Trump].” [Quien se mueve sí sale en la foto: EPN; el desempeño definirá a aspirantes en 2018, dice Pascal Beltran del Rio, March 7, 2016]

And you know why he [Fox] said that, and why he was so arrogant in saying it? Because they’re so used to getting their way…And this guy [Fox] was so arrogant when you looked at him…” Full Event: Donald Trump HUGE Rally in Oklahoma City, OK (2-26-16) (after the 1:08 mark)

Current government officials are also unloading on Trump. According to The Washington Post, Foreign Secretary Claudia Ruiz Massieu called Trump’s policies and comments “ignorant and racist” and the wall “absurd.”Yet the Mexican Foreign Secretary openly brags about her government’s efforts to influence American citizens of Mexican descent.Not to be outdone, current Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto also condemned Trump and swore Mexico would never pay for the wall in an interview with Excelsior.The hysteria from these Mexican politicians is typical of the media coverage in Mexico since Trump announced his candidacy, as I’ve noted repeatedly at VDARE.com:Trump seems aware of Mexico’s hostility. And he also understands how America’s weakness enables it. As I heard him say in Oklahoma on February 26Trump has hit the nail on the head. Mexico’s elite is in panic mode because they are very accustomed to getting their way – and Trump could end that.

But is it really impossible to make the Mexicans pay for the wall?

Well, Trump himself told us at Oklahoma City that he estimates the wall would cost from $10-12 billion. During calendar year 2015, Mexicans outside of Mexico, most of them in the U.S., sent back about $24 billion in remittances. [Mexico Got More Money from Remittances Than from Oil Revenues in 2015 , Associated Press, February 3, 2016]

All the United States would have to do is tax remittances for several years to raise the money for the wall. In that case, Mexico really would be paying for it.

After all, Felipe Calderon said that “Wherever a Mexican is, there is Mexico.”

If the U.S. did that, the only way for the Mexican government to not pay for the wall would be to tell Mexicans in the U.S. not to send money to Mexico!

Either that—or tell them not to come here in the first place.

American citizen Allan Wall (email him) moved back to the U.S.A. in 2008 after many years residing in Mexico. Allan's wife is Mexican, and their two sons are bilingual. In 2005, Allan served a tour of duty in Iraq with the Texas Army National Guard. His VDARE.COM articles are archived here; his Mexidata.info articles are archived here ; his News With Views columns are archived here; and his website is here.