Asger Risom
The former German chancellor recalls a tense Oval Office meeting, Trump’s hunger for attention, and moments of personal vulnerability during Greece’s debt crisis.
The former German chancellor recalls a tense Oval Office meeting, Trump’s hunger for attention, and moments of personal vulnerability during Greece’s debt crisis.
A Deliberate Snub
Speaking in Athens, Angela Merkel said Donald Trump once refused to shake her hand in front of cameras during a 2017 Oval Office meeting. He only did so later, off-camera. “I made the mistake of saying, ‘Donald, we should shake hands,’ and he didn’t,” Merkel recounted. “He wanted to draw attention to himself. That’s what he wants: to make everyone look at him.”
Europe’s Response to Trump’s Tariffs
Merkel criticized Trump’s tariff tactics, urging Europe to stay united and respond with its own measures. “I’m not saying we should break ties with the U.S., but we must negotiate. Not even the U.S. can survive alone,” she said. She also warned of growing threats to democracy, citing U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s statement that partnerships depend on accepting a specific definition of freedom.
A Difficult Relationship
Merkel said Trump saw the world through the eyes of a real estate developer: if he didn’t get something, someone else did. In her memoir, she wrote that he viewed global affairs as a zero-sum game, believing one country’s gain was another’s loss.
Tears During Greece’s Crisis
Merkel visited Athens just before the 10-year anniversary of Greece’s 2015 bailout referendum. She recalled a surprising phone call with former Greek PM Alexis Tsipras announcing the vote. “It left me speechless,” she said, adding that despite initial tensions, the two built a sincere relationship.
Disagreements with Obama
Merkel also shared that she and former U.S. President Barack Obama clashed over how to handle Greece’s debt. Obama didn’t fully grasp EU and ECB mechanisms, she noted. “At one point, I cried from the pressure,” she said with a smile. “A woman can cry during a summit.”
Standing by Greece
Merkel reaffirmed her stance that Greece should remain in the eurozone. “I can’t imagine Europe without Greece as a strong member,” she concluded.
A Caution on U.S. Democracy
Merkel expressed concern over recent shifts in American political rhetoric. She singled out JD Vance’s remarks as a troubling sign of conditional partnerships based on ideology. For Merkel, such notions pose a serious challenge to democratic values on both sides of the Atlantic.
