Phoenix (CNN)Donald Trump made a last-minute trip Wednesday to Mexico in his first visit as the Republican nominee to meet with a world leader -- one who has publicly insulted him and criticized his immigration and border policies.
The lightning-speed visit with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto takes place in the frenzied build-up to Trump's speech in Arizona Wednesday night clarifying his murky policy on immigration.
Trump's calls for deporting all undocumented workers, labeling many Mexican immigrants "rapists" and "criminals," and plan to build a wall along the border -- that Mexico would pay for -- have earned him withering criticism from Peña Nieto, as well as many independents and moderate Republicans.
But they are central pillars of his campaign, which has galvanized his white working class base behind his White House bid. Those most fervently opposed to immigration have pushed back against the rumored "softening" in his stance that he could articulate on Wednesday night.
It is not unusual for presidential candidates to venture abroad during a campaign. Both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney made trips to bolster their foreign policy credentials in 2008 and 2012.
But Trump's approach -- like the rest of his campaign -- is highly unorthodox. Presidential candidates do not typically show up in foreign capitals for talks with leaders without intense preparation and highly choreographed game plans. Often, the parameters of a meeting are settled in advance. This trip was announced Tuesday night.
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