New footage that has emerged of Western leaders mocking US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Britain underscores how unpopular the US leader is in Europe, says a political analyst in Virginia. RNA - “We have to recognize that President Trump is very unpopular in many of the European countries,” said Keith Preston, chief editor of AttacktheSystem.com.
“There has been something of a split between the United States and many European nations during the Trump administration over issues like trade…also over the role of NATO,” Preston told Press TV.
“There’s a lot of political conflict between the United States and Europe, even though their technically allies and part of the NATO alliance,” he added.
Trump has labeled Europe a trade “foe” and has questioned the value of NATO.
During this week’s NATO summit to mark the 70th anniversary of the military alliance, Trump branded the leader of America’s northern neighbor “two-faced” after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appeared to gossip about Trump in comments caught on camera and microphone.
Trudeau was seen standing in a huddle with French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Britain’s Princess Anne, daughter of Queen Elizabeth II at Tuesday evening’s Buckingham Palace reception for NATO leaders.
Trudeau could be heard saying, “he takes a 40-minute press conference off the top.” Trudeau confirmed that was a reference to Trump’s long and unscheduled press conference earlier Tuesday.
Trudeau also said: “You just watched his team’s jaws drop to the floor.” He explained Wednesday that was in reference to Trump’s decision to hold the next Group of Seven meeting at Camp David, the US presidential retreat.
US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has sought to take advantage of Trump's cold reception at the NATO summit.
In an online election ad released Thursday, Biden tried to portray himself as someone who is highly experienced in foreign affairs and can restore America’s global standing.
Biden, 77, blasted Trump as a “dangerously incompetent” and “incapable” head of state.
European Council President Donald Tusk said in November that Trump poses one of the biggest challenges to the European Union because he is “praying” for the breakup of the bloc.
“For the first time in history, there is an American president who is openly against a united Europe. He supports Brexit and prays for the breakup of the Union,” Tusk told the German weekly newspaper Die Zeit in an interview.
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