President Donald Trump’s pick for ambassador to Mexico didn’t rule out unilateral military action into that country during his Senate confirmation hearing Thursday.
In response to a question from Democratic Sen. Chris Coons during his confirmation hearing, Trump nominee Ronald Johnson said his first choice would be to partner with Mexico on military action against cartels. But in cases where U.S. citizens are at risk, “all cards are on the table,” Johnson said.
Trump and some of his allies have suggested that they would consider unilateral military operations into Mexico to fight drug cartels.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum regularly says that while she wants to cooperate and collaborate with the U.S. on security, she won’t permit violations to her country’s sovereignty.
Johnson is Trump’s former ambassador to El Salvador. Also at the confirmation hearing on Thursday, Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen questioned Johnson on his close relationship with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, who has been accused of human rights abuses during his crackdown on gangs in the Central American country. An Amnesty International investigation found Bukele was surveilling journalists using the spyware program Pegasus. Johnson said he was unaware of Bukele’s surveillance of civil society while ambassador.
