DORAL, Fla. – Donald Trump issued a statement Wednesday following the backlash he's received after his controversial comments about Mexicans.
Since his comments, Univision, NBCUniversal and Macy's have cut ties with Trump.
"I am personally offended by the main-stream media's attempt to distort my comments regarding Mexico and its great people," Trump said in his statement. "My views have been consistent and totally clear, but inaccurately reported. I have many successful business relationships with Mexican companies and employ, and am close friends with, many Mexican people.
"I also have tremendous respect for the leaders of Mexico, who, frankly, are much smarter and tougher than our politicians here in the United States. The disappointment I expressed relates to our incompetent politicians and their failed trade and immigration policies. We cannot allow illegal immigrants to pour into our country. We can barely support our own, much less continue to allow millions of people of many different nationalities to enter our country illegally across an unprotected and porous border and take much needed jobs from American citizens.
"Further, this is an issue of national security that should be of great concern. It is a matter of fact that Mexico has some of the toughest immigration laws in the world, policies that we should consider ourselves. Our country owes $18 trillion and that number is rising fast. We are in serious trouble, economically and from a security perspective, and we need leaders who are intelligent, truthful and tough in order to negotiate deals with countries like Mexico, and many others, that will Make America Great Again."
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