German Chancellor Angela Merkel has spent hours studying U. S. President Donald Trump’s rhetoric as she prepares to negotiate on trade and military spending.
Merkel said she will strive to keep relations between the U. S. and Europe intact as she addressed a news conference Saturday. The chancellor said Trump “made his convictions clear in his inauguration speech” and that she will now seek to “exchange ideas with respect.” (RELATED: Top German Official: Americans ‘Radicalized’ Into Voting For Trump)
“I say two things with regards to this: First, I believe firmly that it is best for all of us if we work together based on rules, common values and joint action in the international economic system, in the international trade system, and make our contributions to the military alliances,” Merkel said. “And second, the transatlantic relationship will not be less important in the coming years than it was in past years. And I will work on that.”
Trump recently called Merkel’s open-border refugee policy a “catastrophic mistake” and threatened to impose a 35-percent tariff on German car imports to the U. S. (RELATED: Trump Again Calls NATO ‘Obsolete,’ Slams Merkel’s Immigration Policy As A ‘Catastrophic Mistake’)
Merkel is still confident she can find common ground with Trump, despite their different opinions on key issues like trade and the NATO alliance; she hopes to meet in Washington, D. C., as soon as possible.
“Even when there are different opinions, compromises and solutions can be best found when we exchange ideas with respect,” Merkel said.
She has allegedly watched hours of Trump’s campaign speeches to prepare for his presidency and took notes on his successful way of communicating with the people, Bloomberg reported Saturday , citing two people familiar with her preparations.
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