Angela Merkel on Donald Trump: ‘Every Meeting Was a Competition’

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has opened up about her challenging relationship with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, describing every interaction with him as “a competition: you or me.”

Merkel discussed the infamous tension that characterized their encounters in a new interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel.

She also voiced her concerns about Trump’s impending second term.

“What awaits us now is really not easy,” she said, because “the strongest economy in the world stands behind this president” with the dollar as a dominant currency.

The Story Behind the Infamous Handshake Refusal

Merkel, who served as chancellor for 16 years until late 2021, worked with four U.S. presidents during her tenure. However, her time with Trump marked the most strained period in German-American relations.

She recalled an awkward moment during her first visit to the Trump White House in 2017.

During a photo opportunity in the Oval Office, photographers called for a handshake between the two leaders. Merkel leaned over and asked the President, “Do you want to have a handshake?”

Trump did not respond, keeping his hands clasped and looking ahead.

“I tried to coax him into a handshake for the photographers because I thought in my constructive way that maybe he hadn’t noticed they wanted such a picture. But of course, his refusal was calculation,” she said.

At one point, she sought advise from Pope Francis on how to handle relations with Trump, who advised her to be “flexible but firm.”

Fresh Worries About Trump’s Second Term

In the interview, Merkel expressed “sorrow” over Trump’s recent return to power, following his Nov. 5 victory over Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

“It was already a disappointment for me that Hillary Clinton didn’t win in 2016. I would have liked a different outcome,” Merkel said.

Her concerns are rooted in what she describes as Trump’s challenge to global multilateralism——Trump’s first term was marked by skepticism of international alliances and agreements, which he often viewed as unfair to the United States.

“The more people there were in the room, the greater was his urge to be the winner,” she explained, adding, “You can’t chat with him. Every meeting is a competition.”

She described Trump as “very curious” but said his interest in details was often used to find arguments to strengthen himself and undermine others​​.

Personal Insights from Merkel’s Memoir

The former chancellor’s comments come as she prepares for the release of her memoir, “Freedom: Memories 1954-2021,” written alongside her longtime political adviser Beate Bauman.

Her tenure as Germany’s leader included significant challenges such as the European debt crisis, the influx of refugees during the Syrian civil war, and a pandemic.

Her interactions with Trump, however, remain a prominent part of her legacy.

Throughout Trump’s tenure, he frequently criticized NATO allies, particularly Germany, for not meeting the alliance’s defense spending targets. He asserted that Germany owed “vast sums of money to NATO,” a claim that Merkel and other German officials disputed.

Merkel gradually became more vocal in her criticisms. Following the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 2021, she expressed being “angry and sad” and criticized Trump for not conceding defeat, stating, “I deeply regret that President Trump has not conceded defeat since November, and again refused to do so yesterday.”

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press