Angela Merkel is having a hard time letting go. Over the last eight years, the German chancellor has gotten close with President Obama. And now that she’s losing him in January, Merkel is lashing out at his successor.
During the president’s final visit to Germany, Merkel and Obama penned a joint op-ed, offering an early rebuke of President-elect Trump’s foreign policy. The German leader gave a meticulous, point-by-point rebuke of the next president, concluding that “the future is upon us, and we will never return to pre-globalization.”
But Merkel should reconsider turning a cold shoulder on Trump so early. The candidate from the campaign trail and the incoming executive could turn out to be two very different characters.
Of course, Trump has certainly been critical of Merkel’s Germany already. He described her stance on German immigration policy as “a shame, a sad, sad shame” back in March. And throughout the presidential contest, the Republican stumped on an anti-globalist and isolationist platform.But that was during the campaign.
Trump’s shown tremendous dexterity in his personality and policy. And that’s been especially true with his opinions of Merkel. Before he called her leadership a disaster, he was praising her as “probably the greatest leader in the world.” There’s no guarantee which opinion will end up driving policy.
Merkel seems to be making the same mistake that’s already been made in American politics and media. She’s taking Trump’s words literally. While she should take his sentiment seriously, the chancellor can’t forget that the real estate mogul built a career by making deals.
A Trump administration could be the most flexible presidency in the modern era. His messaging about pulling out of NATO and trade agreements is jarring rhetoric. They’re not edicts. Trump’s vision is open for negotiation and requires ratification from Congress.
Rumored to be running for a fourth term, Merkel needs all the friends she can get. Her approval rating plunged to a five-year low of 45 percent in September. After the United Kingdom’s Brexit and as National Front presidential candidate Marine Le Penn gains ground in France, there’s no need to allienate the American president.
If Merkel shares the opinion of her vice chancellor, Sigmar Gabriel, who called Trump a trailblazer of “the chauvinist international movement,” she should keep it to herself. And during Obama’s last months in office, the couple shouldn’t browbeat his successor on the world stage. It’s counterproductive.
Philip Wegmann is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
