Rep. Francis Rooney (R-FL) made an appearance on CNN Thursday and was asked about a phone call conversation Donald Trump had with the Mexican president.
During the call Trump told Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto that he knew Mexico wouldn’t pay for the wall.
Rooney told host Poppy Harlow that Trump used the wall as a metaphor for border security, despite Trump constantly saying he was going to build a wall and Mexico would pay for it.
“I don’t think anyone during the campaign seriously thought that Mexico was going to pay for that wall,” Rooney opined. “We all believe that the wall is a metaphor for border security.”
Harlow’s co-host John Berman reminded the congressman that Trump promised Mexico would pay for the wall “at every rally.”
“These campaigns are full of all kinds of comments, promises, commitments, expressions, vitriolic diatribe,” Rooney said. “And once the campaign is over, it’s time to move on to governing.”
“Time to not implement what you promised?” Berman pressed. “I’m just confused how you chalk this up to, ‘Yes, this is something he said but no one believed it.’”
“There have been a lot of things that people have said during campaigns that that turned out not to be believed later,” Rooney replied.
“Hold on, Congressman,” Harlow interrupted. “He said it after the campaign. I mean, he said it in the White House.”
“I don’t think anyone really thought that the Mexicans were going to pay for the wall,” Rooney insisted. “President Trump was not a professional politician.”
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