WASHINGTON

President Donald Trump confirmed Sunday that he offered to send US troops to Mexico to help battle drug cartels.

"If Mexico wanted help with the cartels, we would be honored to go in and do it," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

He said the drug cartels are "horrible people that have been killing people left and right,” causing thousands of deaths.

His remarks came a day after Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that she had turned down a proposal from Trump to send American troops into Mexico to assist in combating drug cartels.

"The president of Mexico is a lovely woman, but she is so afraid of the cartels that she can't even think straight," Trump said.

According to a Wall Street Journal report on May 2, Trump allegedly said in a phone call with Sheinbaum on April 16 that the troops he would send could help against the cartels.