Clinton Hits Trump for 'Dropping In' on Mexico

Hillary Clinton today used her first public event in nearly a week to bash Donald Trump for "dropping in" on Mexico, saying building relationships takes more than "a photo op."

"You don't build a coalition by insulting our friends or acting like a loose cannon. You do it by putting in the slow, hard work of building relationships," the Democratic presidential nominee and former secretary of state said during remarks at the American Legion conference in Cincinnati, referring to her Republican opponent.

"Getting countries working together was my job every day as your Secretary of State. It's more than a photo op. It takes consistency and reliability. Actually, it's just like building personal relationships. People have got to know that they can count on you - that you won't say one thing one day and something totally different the next.

"And," she added, "It certainly takes more than trying to make up for a year of insults and insinuations by dropping in on our neighbors for a few hours, and then flying home again. That is not how it works."

Trump accepted an invitation from Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto Tuesday to meet with him today before his speech on immigration tonight.

Clinton's campaign responded swiftly to news of the trip.

"What ultimately matters is what Donald Trump says to voters in Arizona, not Mexico, and whether he remains committed to the splitting up of families and deportation of millions," spokeswoman Jennifer Palmieri said in a statement Tuesday.

The campaign also confirmed that Clinton, too, received an invitation to meet with President Pena Nieto. Clinton, who last met with the Mexican president in 2014, has yet to accept, but her campaign says she hopes to meet with him soon.