Trump's policies on Mexico would lead to major job loss

Americans would lose millions of jobs under a Donald Trump presidency because of his isolationist policies, according to former Mexican President Felipe Calderon.

That is the power that Mexico – the second largest global buyer of American goods – has on the American economy, Calderon explained.

“One point one million American workers will lose their jobs because of canceling or reducing the exports towards Mexico,” he told reporters before the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation’s Desert Town Hall Speakers Series  in Indian Wells Thursday night.

“It is a serious risk not only for Mexico but for Americans,” added Calderon, who served as Mexico's president from 2006-12. “Isolating the United States – economically and politically – will be in my opinion the worst decision for American citizens.”

The majority of job losses would come from a drop in tourism revenue (1 in 4 tourists are Mexican) and Mexicans buying less American goods, Calderon said.

For the majority of the hour-long lecture, Calderon touted the work he did while in office, including stabilizing the economy during the global market crash and investing in his country’s infrastructure and access to health care.

Calderon also addressed a broad range of topics such as the war on drugs, immigration, and the presidential election.

On the drug war, the former president answered critics of his decision to use the Mexican military to fight the drug cartels, which led to a sharp increase in violence.

“The problem in Mexico is that some people believe that you must not face the criminals,” he said. “They are saying that my worst mistake was to face the criminals, of course I don’t agree. It is necessary to do so. What would happen if the police in one town is in the hands of the criminals?”

While Mexico needs to continue fighting the drug flow, the United States needs to slow the flow of weapons. Of the 160,000 guns Mexican authorities confiscated from cartels during Calderon’s presidency, 90 percent came from the United States, he said.

On immigration, Calderon said more Mexicans are leaving the United States than entering. He believes that immigrants no longer want citizenship, but rather the opportunity to work on a temporary basis and suggested creating a legal framework to make that easier.

The last 20 minutes of his talk were devoted to the divisive atmosphere in the U.S. presidential election, the importance of Mexico’s relationship with the United States, and whether Mexico will pay for a wall along the border.

“If you are going to build a wall it is going to be completely useless,” he told the crowd of 1,900, reiterating that more Mexicans are leaving the United States than are entering.

In February, Calderon made headlines after telling CNBC that Mexico is “not going to pay any single cent for such a stupid wall.” His statement came after Trump won the Nevada caucus with 44 percent of the Latino vote.

Before Calderon’s statement, Mexican officials spoke about the U.S. election in a diplomatic tone.

Since then, former Mexican President Vicente Fox told Univision that he will not build the “(expletive) wall,” while current President Enrique Pena Nieto likened Trump’s political rise to that of Hitler and Mussolini.

Trump has continued to win Republican primaries. On Tuesday, he won Mississippi, Michigan, and Hawaii. The Republican candidate who has called Mexicans criminals and rapists currently has 458 delegates, 99 more than his second closest rival Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.

Candidates need 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination.

In Indian Wells, Calderon said candidates of both parties are becoming dangerously polarizing and growing division will only hurt the United States.

“Where is the common ground in which the American people are able to work together?” he asked the crowd. “Because in my opinion this is one of the greatest things you have had in your own history. Beyond the differences you have been able to get together.”

A representative for Trump did not immediately respond Thursday evening to an email and phone message requesting comment.