Why many Europeans love Obama and loathe Trump
Barack Obama appeared in Berlin with Angela Merkel and, making an apparent jab at Donald Trump, said, 'We can't hide behind a wall.' Elizabeth Keatinge (@elizkeatinge) has more. Buzz60
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, left, listens as President Donald Trump speaks during a ceremony to unveil artifacts from the World Trade Center and Berlin Wall for the new NATO headquarters, May 25, 2017, in Brussels.(Photo: Evan Vucci, AP)
Barack Obama and Donald Trump appeared in public at the same time in Europe Thursday, but reactions could not have been starker.
The former presidentreceived a rock-star welcome in Berlin, while his successor received looks of bewilderment from European leaders in Brussels.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former president Barack Obama arrive for a discussion on democracy at Church Congress on May 25, 2017 in Berlin, Germany.(Photo: Steffi Loos, Getty Images)
Here are somereasons why so many Europeans love Obama and loathe Trump.
NATO
Trump chastised his colleagues for not contributing enough to their collective defense. "NATO members must finally contribute their fair share and meet their financial obligations, Trump said. "Twenty-threeof 28 nations in the alliance are not paying what they should be paying for their defense. This is very unfair to the taxpayers of the USA.
During the campaign, Trump calledNATO obsolete and that before sending U.S. troops to defend Europe, he would check whether members had met their defense spending obligations. He later backtracked on both issuesand has promised to increase the U.S. military presence in Europe.
On Thursday, Trumpnoted"the commitments that bind us together as one" and promised to "never forsake the friends who stood by our side."
Obama, who reduced the U.S. military presence in Europe before increasing it after Russia's aggression towardUkraine, never raised any doubts about the U.S. commitment to the allianceand had a more cooperative approach withEuropean leaders.
A young spectator takes a picture, alongside another holding a sign reading 'Obama can we keep you?', during a conversation event with former president Barack Obama on the topic of 'Being Involved in Democracy: Taking on Responsibility Locally and Globally' at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, on May 25, 2017.(Photo: Clemens Bilan, EPA)
EUROPEAN UNION
Trump angered European leaders in January, when he told British Prime Minister Theresa May that Brexit, the British exit from the European Union,is going to be a wonderful thing for your country. The move, approved in a referendum in June 2016,would help Britain re-establish its own identity, control immigration and engage in trade withwhoever it wants, Trump said.
The reaction was harsh. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in March he would campaign for the secession of U.S. states, such as Ohio and Texas, if the U.S. president continued with such talk.
On Thursday, Trump seemed to have changed his tune. He privatelytold European leaders he is worriedU.S. jobs could be lost because of Brexit, according to local media reports.
Pro-EU Obama warned before the historic votethat if it went forward the U.K. is going to be in the back of the queue on trade deals with the U.S. The U.K. is at its best when its helping to lead a strong European Union, Obamasaid lastApril.
U.S. President Donald Trump, right, speaks to British Prime Minister Theresa May during a working dinner meeting at the NATO headquarters during a NATO summit of heads of state and government in Brussels on May 25, 2017.(Photo: Matt Dunham, AP)
INTELLIGENCE LEAKS
May on Thursday complained to Trump about crime scene photosfrom Monday's suicide bombing in Manchester, England, which were shared with intelligence agencies in the U.S. and other English-speaking countries, being leaked to The New York Times. It was the latest controversy involving intelligence leaks during Trump's presidency.
The White House said the alleged leaks are deeply troubling and promiseditwill get to the bottom of this,and if appropriate, the culprit should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Obama also angered his European counterparts, when WikiLeaks in 2013 published documents provided by National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowdenthat showed the U.S. intelligence agency had spied on foreign leaders. TheyincludedGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel, who hosted Obama's visit on Thursday.Obamasmoothed things over with his European counterparts, implementing changeshe said would end U.S. spying on leaders of allies and close friends.
IMMIGRATION
Trump has criticized EU immigration policies, which the president says welcome too many Muslim refugeeswho could pose a terror threat.
In 2016, Trump told Fox Business Network: You go to Brussels I was in Brussels a long time ago, 20 years ago, so beautiful, everything is so beautiful.Its like living in a hellhole right now."
Obama sent a clear message Thursday to Trumpabout his promise to build a wall along the Mexican border. "In this new world we live in, we cant isolate ourselves we cant hide behind a wall," Obama said.
Immigration is a divisive issue in Europe that helped Brexit pass and has fueled insurgent political campaigns across the continent. However, Frenchanti-immigrationcandidate Marine Le Pen, who Trump supported, was soundly defeated for president this month.And Merkel appears to be in a strong position for re-election inSeptember, even though she welcomed 1million migrants to Germany.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Trump has called global warming a "hoax,"while Obama is a strong proponent of environmental measures to combat climate change. That is in line with European thinking on the issue.
French President Emmanuel Macron onThursday urged Trump avoid hasty decisions on a global Paris climate treaty signed by Obama in 2016.The current president said as a candidate he would abandonthe landmark pact.
Pope Francis, another leading voice for environmental concerns,on Wednesday urged Trump to change his stance on the issue, giving him as a gift a copy of his encyclical on climate change.
Read more:
Trump to Pope Francis at the Vatican: 'We can use peace'
Trump, European Union leaders remain at odds over Russia
At NATO, Trump does not pledge U.S. commitment to collective defense
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Why many Europeans love Obama and loathe Trump
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- People Can't Stop Comparing Trump's Boos To Obama's 2019 NBA Finals Standing Ovation - BuzzFeed - June 12th, 2026 [June 12th, 2026]
- Four addresses on Stony Island show the promise, possible perils of Obama Center's impact on South Side - CBS News - June 12th, 2026 [June 12th, 2026]
- Pulitzer-winning historian honored by Obama dies after car hits him in Rhode Island supermarket parking lot - CBS News - June 12th, 2026 [June 12th, 2026]
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- Barack Obama was the shadow architect of a Chicago-style treasure box museum - Porterville Recorder - June 12th, 2026 [June 12th, 2026]
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- Trump Can Succeed in Lebanon Where Obama Failed | Opinion - Newsweek - June 12th, 2026 [June 12th, 2026]
- Black-owned construction firms bring Chicago's Obama Presidential Center to life - ABC7 Chicago - June 7th, 2026 [June 7th, 2026]
- Trump rips Obama's 'stupid' Iran deal, claims former president thought 'he could bribe them' - Yahoo - June 7th, 2026 [June 7th, 2026]
- Trump bashed the Obama Presidential Center. So they invited him on a tour - USA Today - June 7th, 2026 [June 7th, 2026]
- Inside the $850 million Obama Presidential Center ahead of its Juneteenth opening - CNBC - June 7th, 2026 [June 7th, 2026]
- In photos: a preview of the Obama Presidential Center : The Picture Show - NPR - June 7th, 2026 [June 7th, 2026]
- With Oval Office replica and skyline views of Chicago, Obama's new museum is political and personal - AP News - June 7th, 2026 [June 7th, 2026]
- Column | The Obama Center opens as a time warp to an old political order - The Washington Post - June 7th, 2026 [June 7th, 2026]
- Michelle Obama: white men do not have to worry about impostor syndrome - The Guardian - June 7th, 2026 [June 7th, 2026]
- Week in Review: Indiana Bears, Mendoza Runs and an Obama Center Preview - WTTW News - June 7th, 2026 [June 7th, 2026]
- Museum of Science and Industry to close on opening day of Obama Presidential Center - NBC 5 Chicago - June 7th, 2026 [June 7th, 2026]
- Barack Obama Partners with Malcolm Gladwell for New Podcast About an 'Often Overlooked' Subject - People.com - June 7th, 2026 [June 7th, 2026]
- Watch The Innovative Digital Archives at the Obama Presidential Center - Bloomberg.com - June 7th, 2026 [June 7th, 2026]
- With Oval Office replica and skyline views of Chicago, Obama's new museum is political and personal - Los Angeles Times - June 7th, 2026 [June 7th, 2026]
- Trump Wants to Shrink National Intelligence Office and Purge Obama and Biden Holdovers - Time Magazine - June 7th, 2026 [June 7th, 2026]
- This week the Obama Presidential Center was revealed - Dezeen - June 7th, 2026 [June 7th, 2026]
- Michelle Obama To Display Outfits She Wore As First Lady At The Obama Presidential Center Exhibit - Yahoo - June 7th, 2026 [June 7th, 2026]
- Living, breathing legacy: Sneak peek into the new Obama Presidential Center in Chicago - NBC News - June 5th, 2026 [June 5th, 2026]
- Obama Presidential Center Is Ready for Its Close-Up: First Look at Obama Foundations Beacon of Hope and Economic Engine - WTTW News - June 5th, 2026 [June 5th, 2026]
- Inside Obama's presidential museum opening this month: The cost, the books and a beehive - AP News - June 5th, 2026 [June 5th, 2026]
- Obama Centers Two Sides: A Lovely Park and a Forbidding Tower - The New York Times - June 5th, 2026 [June 5th, 2026]
- Bethesda-Chevy Chase High seniors wanted Michelle Obama to speak at graduation. They got their wish. - Bethesda Magazine - June 5th, 2026 [June 5th, 2026]
- With Oval Office replica and skyline views of Chicago, Obama's new museum is political and personal - TelegraphHerald.com - June 5th, 2026 [June 5th, 2026]
- The Obama Presidential Center Wants to Be Everything But a Library - Bloomberg.com - June 5th, 2026 [June 5th, 2026]
- As Airbnbs explode near the Obama Center, housing advocates say affordable units are disappearing - Chicago Sun-Times - June 5th, 2026 [June 5th, 2026]
- Woodlawn students share big dreams and hopes for their community in letters to Barack and Michelle Obama - CBS News - June 5th, 2026 [June 5th, 2026]
- Behind todays radical, Jew-hating Democratic Party is a monster created by Barack Obama - New York Post - June 5th, 2026 [June 5th, 2026]
- Obama Foundation offers first glance of Jackson Park campus: Here is what to know - Chicago Tribune - June 5th, 2026 [June 5th, 2026]
- Obama Center will soon open, and we're getting our first glimpses inside - NBC 5 Chicago - June 5th, 2026 [June 5th, 2026]
- Its a Marker of a Time in the History of Our Country: Inside the Obama Presidential Center - ELLE - June 5th, 2026 [June 5th, 2026]
- FACT FOCUS: Trump says Obama and Biden spent 'hundreds of millions' on reflecting pool. They did not - Yahoo - May 29th, 2026 [May 29th, 2026]
- Gubernatorial candidates include Barack Obama but not the one youre thinking of - Spectrum News - May 29th, 2026 [May 29th, 2026]
- In a city with an iconic skyline, the Obama presidential museum aims to reshape Chicago architecture - Inquirer.com - May 29th, 2026 [May 29th, 2026]
- Early Obama booster drops millions into Californias lieutenant governor race - Sacramento Bee - May 29th, 2026 [May 29th, 2026]
- In a city with an iconic skyline, the Obama presidential museum aims to reshape Chicago architecture - ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and... - May 29th, 2026 [May 29th, 2026]
- Would Trump's Iran deal be better or worse than Obama's JCPOA? - The New Arab - May 29th, 2026 [May 29th, 2026]
- Letter: Obama supporters display selective memory of his tenure - Reading Eagle - May 29th, 2026 [May 29th, 2026]
- Barack Obama is running for governor of California but not that one - KMPH - May 29th, 2026 [May 29th, 2026]
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- In a city with an iconic skyline, the Obama presidential museum aims to reshape Chicago architecture - The Daily Gazette - May 29th, 2026 [May 29th, 2026]
- Judge reprimanded for noisy sex in chambers revealed as Obama appointee who sentenced Todd Chrisley - New York Post - May 29th, 2026 [May 29th, 2026]
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- Sasha and Malia Obama Just Gave Us a Master Class on Styling Workwear - Teen Vogue - May 16th, 2026 [May 16th, 2026]
- Former President Obama visits Taco Joint in Austin with Talarico, Hinojosa - KEYE - May 16th, 2026 [May 16th, 2026]
- Obama meets with Talarico, aiming to boost Democrats bid for US Senate in Texas - AP News - May 16th, 2026 [May 16th, 2026]
- Michelle Obama and daughters have rare outing at celeb hot spot - Page Six - May 16th, 2026 [May 16th, 2026]
- In wild late-night posting spree, Trump attacks Obama with imaginary quote and false conspiracy theories - CNN - May 16th, 2026 [May 16th, 2026]
- 'Truly transformative': ESSENCE Festival expanding with Michelle Obama's help - WWLTV.com - May 16th, 2026 [May 16th, 2026]
- Obama visits taco joint in Austin with Talarico - KWTX - May 16th, 2026 [May 16th, 2026]
- Sasha, Malia, and Michelle Obama serve three very different looks on Los Angeles night out - HOLA - May 16th, 2026 [May 16th, 2026]
- Stephen Colberts last week of guests include Obama, Hanks and Letterman - PHL17.com - May 16th, 2026 [May 16th, 2026]
- Quote of the day by Michelle Obama: When someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you dont stoop to their - The Times of India - May 16th, 2026 [May 16th, 2026]
- Where the Texas governor's race stands as Obama visits the state - USA Today - May 16th, 2026 [May 16th, 2026]
- Nicki Minaj says Barack Obama and Jay-Z pushed her toward supporting Donald Trump, MAGA - TheGrio - May 16th, 2026 [May 16th, 2026]
- Trump Has Been Obsessed With Obama for 15 Years. His Latest Overnight Posting Spree Shows Its Only Escalating - Yahoo - May 16th, 2026 [May 16th, 2026]
- Michelle Obama and Serena Williams Get Real About IVF, Miscarriage, and Motherhood - bet.com - May 16th, 2026 [May 16th, 2026]