Was Christie a reason Trump will now visit Mexico?

Trump is set to visit the country Wednesday and meet with its president before delivering a speech on immigration in Arizona.

TRENTON -- After more than a year of vowing to build a wall across the country's border with the U.S., Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Mexico on Wednesday and meet with its president, Enrique Pena Nieto. 

And, according to reports, Gov. Chris Christie is part of the reason Trump is going.

The trip will come hours before Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, is set to deliver a much-anticipated speech in Arizona clarifying his immigration platform.

The Washington Post reported Tuesday night that Pena Nieto last Friday invited both Trump and his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, to visit the country, according to a statement from the Mexican president's office.

Trump announced later in the night on Twitter that he was making the trip: 

I have accepted the invitation of President Enrique Pena Nieto, of Mexico, and look very much forward to meeting him tomorrow.

-- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 31, 2016

Christie, one of Trump's top advisers, has been among those pushing for the celebrity businessman and former Atlantic City casino tycoon to visit Mexico, according to a report by the Associated Press, which cited an anonymous source. 

The New York Times, also citing an anonymous source, reported that Christie helped with discussions over the trip. 

Spokespeople for both Christie's office and Trump's campaign did not immediately return messages from NJ Advance Media early Wednesday morning. 

Christie traveled Mexico himself in 2014 for a three-day trade mission, during which he met with Pena Nieto. The governor said at the time that it was key for the U.S. to have a strong relationship with Mexico.

"Too often, our neighbors in Mexico and Canada have felt that they were an afterthought in U.S. foreign policy," Christie said at the time. "My view is that they should be our first thought."

Trump to give immigration speech

Trump has been criticized for striking a more combative tone with Mexico over the past year. Last July, when he announced he was running for president, Trump said Mexico is "not our friend" and "they are killing us economically." He also said: "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best."

"They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime," the real estate mogul added. "They're rapists, and some, I assume, are good people."

Trump has also promised to build a wall across the U.S.-Mexico border, and to have Mexico pay for it. Plus, he has said he will deport the more than 11 million immigrants living without authorization. 

In March, Pena Nieto told a Mexican newspaper that Trump's "strident tone" was similar to those of Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. 

In June, the Mexican president appeared to backtrack a bit, saying his comments were "only a call for reflection and for recognition, so that we bear in mind what we have achieved and the great deal still to achieve."

The Times reported that Clinton's campaign would not comment on whether the former U.S. secretary of state has received Pena Nieto's invitation.

Jennifer Palmieri, a senior adviser to Clinton campaign, told the Post in a statement that "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.

Trump has caused confusion in recent weeks over his stance on immigration. He first said he may be open to softening his views, allowing undocumented immigrants to stay if they pay back taxes.

Then, he said there's a "very good chance" that undocumented immigrants who have lived here peacefully could be deported.

Experts say Wednesday's speech might offer some clarification.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

Was Christie a reason Trump will now visit Mexico?