The relationship between President Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel apparently got off to a bit of a rockier start than was previously known.
The relationship between President Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel apparently got off to a bit of a rockier start than was previously known. The Wall Street Journal reports that at the start of their meeting held not long after Trump's inauguration, the newly sworn-in US president told Merkel, "Angela, you owe me one trillion dollars." According to an official with knowledge of the conversation, Trump came up with that number based on 14 years of what Germany had paid for its defense in comparison to the figure it had given NATO. Tensions between Trump, Merkel, and leaders of other allied nations have publicly escalated in recent times for a number of reasons including disagreements about trade, climate-saving initiatives, and military spending. Trump's Monday morning tweets suggest that the upcoming NATO summit being held in Brussels, Belgium is expected to bring more upheaval.
"The United States is spending far more on NATO than any other Country. This is not fair, nor is it acceptable," Trump tweeted. "While these countries have been increasing their contributions since I took office, they must do much more. Germany is at 1%, the U.S. is at 4%, and NATO benefits Europe far more than it does the U.S."
"By some accounts, the U.S. is paying for 90% of NATO, with many countries nowhere close to their 2% commitment," Trump continued. "On top of this the European Union has a Trade Surplus of $151 Million with the U.S., with big Trade Barriers on U.S. goods. NO!"
