Mexico’s president outsmarts Trump with quiet strength

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has turned the tables on Donald Trump, defusing his tariff threats with a blend of restraint and resolve that’s winning her fans at home and abroad. Twice in two months, she’s delayed his 25 percent tariff plan on Mexican exports with last-minute phone calls—most recently in March—prompting Trump to call her a “wonderful woman” and push the deadline to April 2. For India, watching from afar, her success offers a lesson in handling brash power with subtle skill.

Sheinbaum’s approach is a masterclass in contrast. Where Trump thrives on bluster, she leans on her physicist’s precision—calm, calculated, and unflappable. She’s sidestepped the traps Canada’s Justin Trudeau fell into, avoiding public spats that fuel Trump’s ego. Instead, she’s tackled US border concerns head-on, deploying 10,000 National Guard troops and extraditing 29 drug lords, all while keeping Mexico’s dignity intact. “Collaboration, not subordination,” she insists, a stance India could echo in its own global dealings.

Her wins aren’t just diplomatic—they’re personal. Domestically, her approval rating has hit 85 percent, a surge that silences critics who pegged her as a puppet of ex-President López Obrador. She’s flipped the script, proving a woman of science can outmaneuver a populist titan. For India, facing its own trade and geopolitical tightropes, Sheinbaum’s playbook—patience, pragmatism, and a firm spine—suggests a path to tame chaos without losing ground. If she keeps Trump at bay, she might just redefine leadership for a fractious world.