President Donald Trump's brief time in office has been marked by an ample amount of controversy and criticism, much of it carried over from his campaign and post-election period.
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'He's a cheap dealer. He's a peddler' — Mexico's ex-president unloads on Trump
"Yesterday, on the presser, I think he resigned or he renounced the presidency ... to go back to his old job, to be a showman," Vicente Fox said.
President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, in the East Room of the White House in Washington.
Throughout that time, Vicente Fox, president of Mexico from 2000 to 2006, has been stalwart in his excoriations of Trump's stated positions, particularly those regarding US relations with Mexico.
On Friday morning, Fox joined CNN and inveighed on Trump's handling of the US economy and of the country's international relationships.
The former Mexican president warned that attempting to undo or redo NAFTA would have outsize effects on some US corporations, as the greater integration the trade deal fostered in North America has benefited firms like General Motors and Ford.
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"He has to learn," Fox said. "Someone from the corporate world must tell him, ‘You’re wrong, Trump. You’re absolutely wrong. You don’t know about this.'" He continued:
Trump's dealings with Mexico have been particularly fraught since he took office.
Early reports that he had disparaged the US's southern neighbor and suggested he could send troops to fight drug cartels have been downplayed, but the ongoing tension between two countries, as well as an apparent lack of communication, has left many on both sides of the border frustrated and confused.
Internally, Trump's White House appears to be grappling with clashing egos and struggles for influence in the Oval Office.
The Thursday press conference referenced by Fox has added a new element to the dismay that has surrounded Trump's nascent presidency.
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During the 77-minute event, Trump alarmed many, and commentators afterwards described it as "wild" and as an "airing of grievances."
Fox said it made clear which reality Trump seemed to prefer.
"Yesterday, on the presser, I think he resigned or he renounced the presidency of the United States of America to go back to his old job, to be a showman," Fox said. "That’s his aspiration."
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