Trump refuses to drop his baseless wiretapping claims

Ivanka Trump gatecrashed Angela Merkel’s ill-fated summit with Donald Trump Friday, the latest in a line of questionable appearances at gatherings where she probably doesn’t really belong.

The visit was scheduled for Tuesday, but was postponed because of a snowstorm.

Merkel, who was evidently uncomfortable, shrugged for a moment and then smiled at the media. She said global economic policy “has to be done looking at the refugees, as well”.

Ulf Roeller: I mean, I think the German business and political leaders are really scared about Donald Trump because they have the feeling Donald Trump is not only threatening the German economy. Trump said via Twitter on Saturday (18 March).

“Germany is the de facto leader of the European Union, but the Union is undergoing internal and external trials that make its future uncertain”, he added. The president has since said that this allegation was based exclusively on media reports (which do not actually support his allegation) and that his tweets should not be taken literally.

GCHQ rejected the allegations against it as “nonsense” and Downing Street says it has been assured the United States will not repeat the claims. Near the end of the event, a photographer called out for the two to shake hands, and Merkel can be heard asking Trump, “Do you want to do the handshake?”

Mattes also points out that America had its greatest period of growth during a trade deficit with Germany that’s lasted 35 years.

Mr Trump reiterated his strong support for the alliance, but also “the need for our North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies to pay their fair share for the cost of defence”.

Only the US and four other members now reach the benchmark of spending 2 percent of GDP on defense. Germany spends about 1.2 per cent on defense now.

He rejected a description of his policies as “isolationist”, noting: “I’m a free trader but also a fair trader”.

Trump also bristled at a question about why he labels press reports he dislikes as “fake news”.

Trump said some countries owe “vast sums” in dues, which is “very unfair to the United States” – an allegation that appeared to be based on an incomplete understanding of how the alliance is funded. “That is the spirit I think in which we ought to be guided in negotiating any agreement between the United States of America and the European Union”, she said. In contrast, Trump signed two executive orders banning Syrian refugees and halting travel from several majority-Muslim countries.

Before coming to office in January, the U.S. president called Merkel´s acceptance of refugees a “catastrophic mistake” and said she was “ruining Germany”.

In one fell swoop, President Trump managed to wave off one embarrassing global incident with a close European ally by invoking another. Obama was full of praise for Merkel as he left office, calling her leadership of Germany a model for the world.

Their first meeting came as she prepares for an election battle later in the year, seeking a fourth term as chancellor.