President Trump’s comments about the German-American trade relationship will not encourage those who hoped he might move past his campaign rhetoric on trade. His actions here contrast with his rhetoric on China, which has moderated significantly since his election.
May 30, 2017
‘Fresh off his first international trip as president, one in which he spent time at two meetings with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter Tuesday that the U.S. relationship with Germany is “very bad for U.S.” and “will change.”
Both Trump and Merkel took part in meetings of NATO and G7 leaders held last week in Brussels and Sicily, respectively. While in Brussels, Trump reportedly told European Union leaders that “the Germans are bad, very bad,” a comment that forced Gary Cohn, the director of the national economic council to explain that the president was unhappy only with the U.S-Germany trade relationship, not the longtime American ally itself.’