Biden Reveals What Angela Merkel Really Thought of Donald Trump

Detailed summary

Former President Joe Biden has shared Angela Merkel 's private views of Donald Trump in his new memoir, revealing what the former German chancellor told him behind closed doors.

Former President Joe Biden has shared Angela Merkel's private views of Donald Trump in his new memoir, revealing what the former German chancellor told him behind closed doors.

In excerpts shared with Newsweek from Biden's forthcoming White House memoir, Promise Me, America, the former president recalls how Merkel candidly discussed her difficult relationship with Trump during their early conversations after he entered the White House in January 2021.

The former German chancellor described Trump as "emotional," and questioned his fascination with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other authoritarian leaders, Biden writes in the memoir.

Biden writes that Merkel was particularly frustrated by Trump's behavior during their meetings, including his refusal to shake her hand, and his apparent preference for personal impulses over established facts.

"In our conversations... Angela was candid about her frustrations with my predecessor, who refused to shake her hand, and who seemed 'emotional' in their meetings, driven by mood swings rather than facts," Biden writes.

"She also wondered why he was 'fascinated' by Vladimir Putin and other politicians 'with autocratic and dictatorial traits.' That was a mystery I could not unravel."

The revelations offer a glimpse into the private conversations Biden held with one of Europe's most influential leaders as he sought to rebuild relations with traditional American allies following four years of Trump's "America First" foreign policy.

Merkel's relationship with Trump was frequently strained throughout his first presidency, with disagreements extending beyond their personal interactions to NATO, trade, climate policy and Germany's energy relationship with Russia.

One of their most memorable encounters came during Merkel's first Oval Office visit in March 2017.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Newsweek. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.