Arturo Sarukhán on Trump, Mexico security policy and the 2026 midterm elections, Digi Mart USA News: Former Mexican ambassador to the United States Arturo Sarukhán said that a Republican defeat in the U.S. midterm elections could lead President Donald Trump to “double down” on his actions toward Mexico on issues such as the fight against drug trafficking.
Speaking with journalist Claudio Ochoa during LatinUS’s midterm election broadcast, the former diplomat said it is very likely Trump would seek “dramatic effect” through unilateral U.S. action, such as flying a drone over a fentanyl laboratory.
Sarukhán said changes to U.S. trade policy, including the review of the USMCA, are unlikely to be significant.
He noted that the president has sufficient authority under the Trade Act of 1974 to continue his tariff policy on national security grounds. He cited the tariffs applied to Canadians, Mexicans and many other trading partners as examples, saying Trump would likely remain relatively free to keep using this pressure tool.
Sarukhán added that Congress could begin seeking to recover authority over trade policy. He said this could limit Trump, but would not eliminate his style of negotiating with Mexico, in which he continues to link different items on the agenda.
According to Sarukhán, the Democratic results were driven by immigration enforcement operations, tariffs, inflation, and rising fuel costs linked to the conflict with Iran.
