For America's European allies, Trump's first 100 days a time of reckoning, backlash

3 days ago 9

Europeans respond to Trump's archetypal 100 days

Europeans respond to Trump's archetypal 100 days 03:20

Normandy, France — The heroic D-Day landings successful Normandy marked the opening of the extremity of World War II, wherever thousands of the Americans who fell successful the battle inactive remainder successful graves successful northwestern France.

It was the sacrifice of the American and European Allied soldiers during the Normandy Invasion, and of people their large triumph implicit the Nazis, that formed the bedrock of an confederation that has stood steadfast for much than 80 years.

Then, however, came President Trump's rhetoric and the ensuing tariff war.

"Europe has been very, precise atrocious for us," Mr. Trump told reporters past month. "Europe has taken our leaders for a ride. They don't instrumentality our cars. They don't instrumentality our nutrient products. They don't instrumentality anything…The European Union was formed for 1 reason. You cognize what that was? To rip disconnected the United States. So, enactment that successful your bonnet."

Europeans have been shocked and insulted by the president's actions successful the archetypal 100 days of his 2nd term.

Vincent Dampt is simply a fourth-generation Burgundy winemaker who is arrogant to merchantability Chablis vino to the U.S. astatine a just price.

"I spell often to USA to sojourn them, the customers, marque them observe my wines," Dampt told CBS News.

But the Trump administration's on-again, off-again tariffs person been a immense headache to his business.

"Because we enactment successful a assemblage wherever it's important to person thing that is stable," Dampt said.

This spring, Mr. Trump kept changing his caput connected tariffs connected French wine. First, it was going to beryllium placed nether what would person been a catastrophic 200% tariff. That was followed with a 20% tariff threat, and past finally, the president decided connected 10%, but conscionable until July. It's unclear what volition hap aft that.

The bottommost enactment for Dampt is that immoderate tariff volition wounded his customers and his sales.

Trumpian uncertainty hasn't conscionable undermined trade, it's shaken the large North Atlantic Treaty Organization too, arsenic amid Russia's penetration of Ukraine, Mr. Trump has consistently argued that NATO's European members request to summation their defence spending.

"If they don't pay, I'm not going to support them," Mr. Trump precocious told reporters.

Camille Grand with the European Council connected Foreign Relations says the president has a constituent astir the transatlantic subject alliance.

"On immoderate issues, essentially, he's right," Grand said. "You know, the Europeans should walk much connected defense, should beryllium overmuch much superior connected defense."

The Europeans cognize that, and they are spending much connected everything from grooming to weapons. But they fearfulness that the Trump medication whitethorn wantonness them anyway.

"What is troubling is the information that determination is simply a uncertainty connected the robustness of the confederation arsenic seen from Washington," Grand said.

Grand says that the "perception of galore Europeans" is that Europe is much committed to its narration with the U.S. than the different mode around, and fearfulness that Mr. Trump has undermined 1 of the top alliances successful modern history. 

Elizabeth Palmer

headshot-600-elizabeth-palmer.jpg

Elizabeth Palmer is CBS News' elder overseas correspondent. She is based successful the CBS News London Bureau, and reports connected large events crossed Europe and the Middle East. Palmer was antecedently based successful Tokyo, and earlier that successful Moscow, for CBS News.

Read Entire Article