Trump would wreck US economy: Carlos Slim

By AFP November 4, 2016 | 07:31 pm PT

The States' economy will go down with "brutal inflation".

Mexican telecommunications tycoon Carlos Slim warned on Friday that Donald Trump would destroy the U.S. economy if he wins next week's election.

"As we say in Mexico, being a drunk is different from being a bartender," Slim told reporters at the Montevideo Circle, a meeting of business leaders and politicians.

Slim said a victory on Tuesday by the Republican candidate was "not very likely."

But if he defeats Democrat Hillary Clinton, Trump's administration could impose a 35 percent import tariff that would dramatically raise prices in the United States, he said.

"It would destroy the U.S. economy with brutal inflation," said the world's fourth richest man, according to Forbes magazine's latest ranking.

Trump lashed out at Slim last month after The New York Times published claims from women accusing the real estate baron of sexual misconduct. Slim is the newspaper's largest shareholder.

Slim declined to comment on that controversy, but his son-in-law and spokesman, Arturo Elias, had responded at the time that the Mexican billionaire has never met Trump and "is not interested in his personal life in the slightest."

Trump has angered Mexicans for vowing to make their government pay for a giant border wall and pledging to deport millions of migrants, whom he called rapists and drug runners.

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