President Trump told European officials in Brussels that the Germans are “very bad” on trade, the president’s top economic aide confirmed Friday.
“The Germans are bad, very bad,” Trump said, according to German publication Der Spiegel, during his meeting with European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Thursday.
“Look at the millions of cars they sell in the U.S., and we’ll stop that,” Trump said, according to the outlet.
National Economic Adviser Gary Cohn acknowledged to reporters Friday at the Group of Seven summit in Sicily, Italy, that Trump has a problem with German trade.
“He said they’re very bad on trade but he doesn’t have a problem with Germany. He said his dad is from Germany,” Cohn said.
Cohn was also asked about Trump thinking on the Paris Climate Accord. The White House has said Trump won’t announce his decision on whether to withdraw from the pact until after the G7 summit.
“I think he’s leaning to understand the European position,” Cohn said. “Look as you know from the U.S., there’s very strong views on both sides. Both sides are running ads. So he knows that in the U.S. there’s very strong opinions on both sides but he also knows that Paris has important meaning to many of the European leaders. And he wants to clearly hear what the European leaders have to say.”
Trump is nearing the end of his foreign trip, which has taken him to Saudi Arabia, Israel, the Vatican, Brussels and Italy.
