No, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum didn’t say this to Donald Trump about a border wall


Trump stands next to border wall 2020
President Donald Trump tours a section of the border wall, June 23, 2020, in San Luis, Ariz. (AP)

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum recently responded sarcastically to President Donald Trump declaring the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. 

Sheinbaum proposed renaming North America “Américana Mexicana.” 

She didn’t chastise Americans for not knowing geography, or say that the U.S. economy would collapse, as recent Facebook posts claim. 

But a supposed screed from Sheinbaum to Trump is circulating social media. 

“So, you voted to build a wall,” a Feb. 9 Facebook post quoted Sheinbaum saying. “Well, dear Americans, even if you don’t understand much about geography, since for you America is your country and not a continent, it is important for you to know, before the first brick is laid, that there are 7 billion people beyond that wall.”

The lengthy purported statement goes on to say, “Shame on Trump” and that “they will beg us to tear down this ugly wall.”

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We found no credible evidence, such as news reports, public statements, press releases or social media posts from the Mexican president that she said this. 

Plus, variations of this message have been online for at least eight years, long before Sheinbaum became Mexico’s first female president in 2024.

Spanish posts from January 2017 — after Trump was first inaugurated — carry virtually the same message. But the statement isn’t attributed to Sheinbaum; it’s formatted as a letter signed by “the rest of the world.”

We rate claims Sheinbaum said this False.

 

Truth-o-meter Ruling

False

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  • This claim is unfounded. 

Statement

Says Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum told President Donald Trump, “They will beg us to tear down this ugly wall.”

Context

a Facebook post

Speaker/Target

Statement Date

February 9, 2025
Our Sources

Facebook post, Feb. 7, 2025

Facebook post, Feb. 9, 2025

Facebook post, Jan. 29, 2017

Facebook post, Jan. 28, 2017

Instagram post, Jan. 31, 2017

X account, visited Feb. 11, 2025

Facebook account, visited Feb. 11, 2025

Instagram account, visited Feb. 11, 2025

The Associated Press, Mexico’s President Sheinbaum offers sarcastic response to Trump’s ‘Gulf of America’ comment, Jan. 8, 2025

Translations

Language: en

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