Germany’s Scholz calls Trump a ‘destroyer of all Western values’
Germany’s finance minister has labeled U.S. President Donald Trump “a destroyer of all Western values,” in an interview published Sunday.
Olaf Scholz spoke with the German weekly newspaper Welt am Sonntag, before departing for Washington to attend meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
Scholz said that Trump’s actions and decisions are “against the law” and that he “attacks the very foundations of Western civilization.” He also criticized Trump’s approach to trade, particularly the president’s willingness to impose tariffs on European products.
The finance minister’s strong words come as the United States and European Union remain locked in tense trade negotiations. Trump has repeatedly threatened to impose tariffs on European cars, a move that would likely provoke retaliatory measures from the EU.
Scholz stressed the importance of maintaining a rules-based international trading system and warned of the dangers of protectionism. He also reiterated Germany’s commitment to the European Union and the euro currency.
The finance minister’s comments reflect growing concerns among European leaders about the direction of U.S. foreign policy under the Trump administration. Many fear that Trump’s “America First” approach is undermining the liberal international order that has been in place since the end of World War II.
Scholz’s criticism of Trump is likely to further strain relations between the United States and Germany, which have already been frayed by disputes over defense spending, the Iran nuclear deal, and the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
Despite these tensions, Scholz reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to transatlantic partnership and expressed hope for a more constructive relationship with the United States in the future.