Donald Trump speaks to Angela Merkel - who he accused of 'ruining' her country
Despite criticising her policy on refugees, Mr Trump said she was his favourite world leader
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
President Donald Trump has spoken with German Chancellor Angela Merkel - the European leader whom he criticised for her policy of welcoming refugees from Syria.
In 2015, Mr Trump tweeted that the German chancellor was “ruining Germany.”
Similarly, he compared his opponent Hillary Clinton to Angela Merkel, saying she wants to “be America’s Angela Merkel and you know what a disaster the massive immigration has been to Germany and the people of Germany.”
However, in 2016, Mr Trump picked Ms Merkel as his favourite world leader, despite his criticism of her position on refugees.
“Well, I think Merkel is a really great world leader, but I was very disappointed [in] this move with the whole immigration thing,” he said in New Hampshire in September, according to New England Cable News.
More recently, in an interview with Germany’s Bild and the Times, Mr Trump again said he respected Ms Merkel but that she made a “catastrophic mistake” and referred to a Tunisian asylum seeker who drove through a Christmas market killing 12 people.
Ms Merkel and Mr Trump spoke bout NATO, the situation in the Middle East and North Africa, their ties to Russia and the conflict in eastern Ukraine, according to a statement approved by both countries.
“The leaders recognised that NATO must be capable of confronting 21st century threats and that our common defence requires appropriate investment in military capabilities to ensure all allies are contributing their fair share to our collective security,” it said.
Former President Barack Obama also admired Ms Merkel and his last phone call as president was to Ms Merkel and during a press conference before leaving office, Mr Obama praised her work as she considers running for re-election in September.
“That’s a matter for the German people, but I value Angela’s leadership,” said Mr Obama on whether she should be re-elected.
"If I were German and I had a vote I might support her. But I don’t know whether that hurts or helps."
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments