World News@lemmy.worldEnglish · 1 month ago

Merkel: I mistook Trump for ‘someone completely normal’

www.theguardian.com

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Merkel: I mistook Trump for ‘someone completely normal’

www.theguardian.com

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World News@lemmy.worldEnglish · 1 month ago

Memoir of former German chancellor recalls US president’s soft spot for tyrants and apparent fascination with Putin

Summary

In her memoir Freedom, Angela Merkel reflects on her misjudgment of Donald Trump, initially treating him as “completely normal” before realizing his emotional nature and authoritarian inclinations.

She recounts his attempts to humiliate her, his zero-sum worldview, and fascination with autocratic leaders like Vladimir Putin.

Merkel also critiques Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accord and his hostility toward Germany.

Addressing her legacy, she discusses tensions with Putin over NATO and acknowledges criticism of her reliance on Russian gas and liberal refugee policies.

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I’m from a country that borders Germany and I don’t think I had any good idea who Donald Trump was before 2015. I may have heard the name at some point, but no more than that.

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