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

Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2s0qS5r

Read more here:
Why many Europeans love Obama and loathe Trump

Related Posts

Comments are closed.