Donald Trump’s meetings often end the same way – with two very different takeaways.
The billionaire businessman has a private conversation with a prominent figure. Afterward, the two sides offer vastly – sometimes comically – different versions of that interaction.
This routine has been on display throughout Trump’s presidential campaign, and surfaced once again on Wednesday following the Republican presidential nominee’s high-stakes meeting with Mexico’s president, Enrique Peña Nieto. The two men appeared to make contradicting statements on whether their private meeting included a discussion about how Trump’s proposed wall along the US-Mexico border would be paid for.
Trump’s approach illustrates how the real estate mogul doesn’t follow the normal rules of the political game – a style that is no doubt popular with some of his supporters and has turned off plenty of others.
“He’s the worst type of politician because he’ll think he can buy his way into what he wants and says whatever he thinks the audience wants to hear,” David McIntosh, president of the Club for Growth, told CNN last year. (Trump tweeted that McIntosh was “pathetic.”)
Here are some examples of the war of words that have emerged after a meeting with Trump:
August 31, 2016: Meeting with Mexican President
Trump surprised the political world when he announced late Tuesday that he would travel to Mexico the next day to meet with the head of the country. Some of Trump’s ideas and rhetoric – including his famous proposal to build a wall along the US-Mexico border and his reference to some Mexicans as “rapists” and “criminals” – have angered many Mexicans, making this last-minute meeting highly anticipated.
What they said:
“Al inicio de la conversación con Donald Trump dejé claro que México no pagará por el muro.”
Translated: “At the start of the conversation with Donald Trump, I made it clear that Mexico will not pay for the wall.” (Peña Nieto on Twitter)
What Trump said:
“Who pays for the wall? We didn’t discuss… We did discuss the wall. We didn’t discuss payment of the wall. That’ll be for a later date.” (Trump at a joint news conference in Mexico City following his meeting with Peña Nieto)
September 1, 2015: Meeting with Javier Palomarez, CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Under fire from the Hispanic community for his tough rhetoric on immigration, Trump met privately in his New York office with Palomarez, discussing issues like immigration, the Hispanic electorate and the role of undocumented workers in the broader economy.
What they said:
“He jokingly said, ‘I don’t need the Hispanic vote.’ He was talking about his ratings and how he’s doing in the polls and arguing he’s doing fantastically. But he was joking.” (Palomarez to CNN after the meeting)
What Trump said:
“No, I never said you don’t need the Hispanics. I think I’m going to win the Hispanics. I never said that.” (Trump to CNN’s Don Lemon after the meeting)
August 24, 2015: Meeting with Anthony Scaramucci, a national finance co-chairman for Scott Walker
Scaramucci, a hedge fund manager and high-profile Walker supporter, met with Trump at his office in July 2015 and expressed concern about some of the presidential candidate’s rhetoric towards his industry. (Trump has recently railed that hedge fund managers pay too little in taxes).
What they said:
“We met. I explained to him I am a very loyal person and could never walk away from a friend like Scott Walker. It was clear. How the story came out like that only Mr. Trump can say.” (Scaramucci to CNN at the time)
What Trump said:
“He wants to drop Walker and go with me. He wants to endorse me. He said, ‘I want to drop Walker and endorse you.’” (Trump to the Wall Street Journal after the meeting)
July 8, 2015: Phone call with Reince Priebus, head of the Republican National Committee
The Washington Post reported in July 2015 that the head of the RNC spoke on the phone with Trump and that the two men discussed the candidate’s controversial remarks about immigration.
What they said:
“The head of the Republican National Committee, responding to demands from increasingly worried party leaders, spent nearly an hour Wednesday on the phone with Donald Trump, urging the presidential candidate to tone down his inflammatory comments about immigration that have infuriated a key election constituency.” (The Washington Post, citing “donors and consultants briefed on the conversation and confirmed by the RNC”)
What Trump said:
“Totally false reporting on my call with @Reince Priebus. He called me, ten minutes, said I hit a “nerve”, doing well, end!” (Trump on Twitter)
“He did say, ‘You know, you could keep it down a little bit, but you can’t change your personality and I understand that.’ It was really a nice call, a congratulatory call.” (Trump to CNN)
May 26, 2015: Meeting with David McIntosh, president of the Club for Growth
Earlier that year, the head of the conservative advocacy group met with the billionaire in his New York City office.
What Trump said:
“The president of the pathetic Club For Growth came to my office in N.Y.C. and asked for a ridiculous $1,000,000 contribution. I said no way! When I intelligently turned down The Club For Growth crazy request for $1,000,000, they got nasty. What a waste of money that would have been.” (Trump on Twitter)
What they said:
“Actually @realDonaldTrump asked for that mtg & then asked for races he could support. Thought he could buy us off. Worst Kind of Politician” (Club for Growth on Twitter)
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect more recent events