“There Would Be No Joint Work for a Networked World with Trump,” Writes Angela Merkel in Memoir

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel offers a scathing critique of Donald Trump in her newly previewed memoir, providing insight into her experience working with the former U.S. president. The memoir, previewed by Politico on Wednesday, arrives as Trump prepares to assume office again, raising concerns in the European Union over his pro-Russia stance and skepticism toward NATO.

Merkel, who led Germany’s Christian Democratic Union party during the first half of Trump’s presidency, described Trump’s worldview as shaped by his background in real estate. “He judged everything from the perspective of the property entrepreneur he had been before politics. Each property could only be allocated once. If he didn’t get it, someone else did. That was also how he looked at the world,” she wrote.

“For him, all countries were in competition with each other, in which the success of one was the failure of the other; he did not believe that the prosperity of all could be increased through co-operation.” Reflecting on her 2017 visit to the White House, Merkel characterized their discussions as fundamentally misaligned. “We spoke on two different levels,” she recalled.

“Trump on an emotional level, me on a factual one. When he did pay attention to my arguments, it was usually only in order to construct new accusations from them … When I flew home, I didn’t have a good feeling. I concluded from my conversations: There would be no joint work for a networked world with Trump.”

Merkel’s assessment aligns with concerns from global leaders who witnessed Trump’s approach to diplomacy, including his immediate withdrawal of the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement—a decision reversed by President Joe Biden but one Trump appears poised to repeat. Additionally, Trump dismantled several treaties on international cooperation and security during his first term, heightening apprehension about his potential second term.

European leaders remain particularly anxious about Trump’s stance on the war in Ukraine. Despite selecting hawkish neoconservatives for his cabinet, many fear he could abandon Ukraine amid its struggle against Russia’s brutal invasion. Merkel’s observations underscore broader worries about Trump’s preference for unilateralism over global partnerships.

Merkel’s memoir not only critiques Trump’s leadership but also highlights the challenges of navigating a geopolitical landscape increasingly shaped by nationalism and competition rather than collaboration. Her reflections offer a sobering reminder of the complexities awaiting world leaders should Trump’s approach to governance return to the global stage.