In the endless quest by foreign leaders to understand and manage Trump, López Obrador marks the latest example of a savvy politician who bonds with the mercurial U.S. president, at least temporarily.
On the phone, the two presidents have mused about people’s expectations they would be at each other’s throats, one senior Trump administration official said. “But it’s not the case,” he said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. “It’s a relationship off to a good start. They do like each other.”
Many analysts believe it is only a matter of time before the two leaders clash. They are vastly different in style — López Obrador is an austere leftist who doesn’t own a credit card, while Trump favors 24-karat gold faucets and private jets.
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