Exceptional commencement of the gathering indeed.
Unpredictable with Trump: Friedrich Merz's Pleasant Surprise at the White House
A meeting with the unpredictable Donald Trump is now a rollercoaster ride. His presidential office, the Oval Office, has become a lion's den. But Friedrich Merz experiences the other side of the president. Trump is friendly, open, and approachable. A bit of luck also helps the chancellor.
The German delegation must have taken a few deep breaths. The meeting between Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz and US President Donald Trump at the White House got off to a good start. There were no wild outbursts like those with the presidents of Ukraine or South Africa - quite the contrary. The reception in the Oval Office was in the best sense unspectacular. In the pre-Trump era, this would have been a matter of course. Now, this alone is already a success.
First Steps in Washington Merz Offers Trump Close Cooperation - And Gets Praised
But it didn't stop there. Merz had set himself the goal of building a rapport with Trump, and it seems he has succeeded. The president was friendly, open, and approachable, even joked with Merz. Merz spoke fluent English, which pleased Trump. The president asked him if he spoke English as well as German. Trump verbally sided with the federal chancellor several times, for example, about the many dead in the Ukraine war. "He is unhappy about it, I am unhappy about it." Even Trump, who has often criticized Germany, now sought verbal unity.
The meeting began with Merz presenting Trump with a gift: the birth certificate of Trump's grandfather. The latter had immigrated to the USA from today's Rhineland-Palatinate at the end of the 19th century. Trump thanked him profusely and joked that he could hang it up in the Oval Office. The signs were immediately pointing to harmony.
Merz, a "Difficult" Yet Respected Type
Merz had prepared well for the meeting - he was meeting Trump for the first time but had spoken to him several times on the phone. This paid off now. "He is difficult," Trump now said about him. What sounded like criticism was meant as praise. People whom Trump respects, he often calls "hard" or "strong." "Difficult" apparently falls into the same category. "He is a very good representative of Germany," he said and even apologized for retrospectively criticizing Angela Merkel - for not closing Germany's borders to refugees in 2015.
The Ukraine War Shaping the Agenda Merz Becomes Clear on Russia Criticism - Trump Nods
It could have gone differently. Vice President JD Vance was also in the room but remained silent the whole time. He had accused the Europeans and indirectly Germany of abandoning freedom of speech. He had openly wooed the AfD. If he had now spoken up and confronted Merz with AfD accusations - it would have been tight. But even Trump refrained from his usual tirades about excessive German and European exports to the USA or insufficient German defense spending.
Instead, Trump joked that there would eventually come a point where they would tell the Germans to please not arm themselves further. This was meant as a dig at the Nazi era. Merz also played along with this. He reminded Trump of D-Day, the landing of the Allies in Normandy - a turning point in World War II. Even now, the Americans could do something similarly strong, he urged Trump. He is the key figure to end the war in Ukraine.
Trump Diverges on Ukraine Stance
Trump's stance on Ukraine was surprisingly different from the positioned expressed by Merz. While Merz sought Trump’s intervention for peace, Trump suggested it might be beneficial to let Russia and Ukraine continue fighting, a stance that clashed with expectations of swift conflict resolution. Trump expressed his views on other issues as well, such as economy, trade, and NATO, but his stance on Ukraine stood out as distinctly different from Merz's request for intervention.
US Media Interested in Xi and Musk
Renewed Cooperation and Divergence: Merz and Trump on Ukraine Friedrich Merz had a bit of luck. There weren't many opportunities for slip-ups, as American journalists were more interested in other topics. Just before the meeting, Trump had spoken with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The US journalists in the Oval Office initially wanted to know more about this. Trump managed to sneak in a compliment for Merz, saying he had spoken with two important world leaders. The other major topic that interested US media that day was Elon Musk. The tech billionaire has apparently fallen out with Trump and is now criticizing his planned massive tax cut.
Trump himself didn't seem particularly focused on Germany-US questions. He spent several minutes ranting about his predecessor, Joe Biden, particularly criticizing his use of an autopen device. Merz sat silently beside him. Every minute that wasn't spent on hot topics like sanctions, tariffs, and NATO reduced the risk of an open feud. Trump was indeed asked about it, but he always showed a friendly side. The gist was: The Chancellor and I will sort this out.
The press reception in the Oval Office was just the start of the meeting. Afterwards, they continued behind closed doors. They won't solve all the world's problems that afternoon, but the start was successful - no more, no less.
Source: ntv.de
- Friedrich Merz
- Donald Trump
- Washington
- Ukraine
- Russia
- NATO
- Tariffs
Enrichment Insights:
- Merz and Trump's meeting differed from Trump’s interactions with other world leaders in several ways, including Merz's deferential approach, divergence in their views on Ukraine, and Trump's comments regarding Germans arming themselves.
- Trump publicly commended Merz for his diplomacy and even apologized for retrospectively criticizing Merkel's immigration policies.
- During the meeting, Merz sought Trump’s intervention for peace in Ukraine while Trump expressed a surprising willingness to let Russia and Ukraine continue fighting, setting this meeting apart from others where Trump might offer more definitive support or intervention promises.
Consultations on Budget Matters Given the friendly and cooperative atmosphere between Friedrich Merz and Donald Trump during their meeting in Washington, it is possible that the German Commission has also been consulted on the draft budget matters, especially since Merz and Trump discussed various topics related to economy and trade.
Political Impact The successful meeting between Merz and Trump, where Trump even praised Merz's diplomatic skills and apologized for his criticism of Angela Merkel, could influence the political dynamics between Germany and the US, potentially leading to more close cooperation and understanding in the future, especially when it comes to important international issues like the war in Ukraine.
