When they first caught wind of Trump’s tweet, Videgaray and secretary of the economy Ildefonso Guajardo were in the White House, meeting a team led by White House chief of staff Reince Priebus.

“As that happened I asked for a pause and immediately called President Peña Nieto,” said Videgaray. “I received his instruction to convey the message to the White House that if the condition to have the meeting was for Mexico to pay for the wall, then it was absolutely impossible for us to do.”

Peña Nieto had already taken a hit at home when he backed away from canceling the meeting one day earlier.

On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order mandating construction of the wall while Videgaray and Guajardo held their first meetings at the White House.