Democrats aren’t the only ones grieving over Trump’s win. Some people around the globe are having a hard time handling the news as well.
And Donald Trump’s reelection just sent this world leader into hysterics.
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel offers candid insights into her dealings with world leaders—including President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin—in her forthcoming memoir, Freedom: Memories 1954–2021, set to release on November 26.
In the book, Merkel details her strained relationship with Trump, describing his worldview as shaped by his background in real estate.
“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 writes.
According to Merkel, Trump viewed international relations as a zero-sum game: “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.”
The former chancellor describes the communication gap between them, saying that they “spoke on two different levels—Trump on an emotional level, me on a factual one.” Even when Trump engaged with her arguments, she claims it was often to “construct new accusations from them.”
Merkel’s frustrations with Trump were not limited to their ideological differences. She reveals seeking advice from Pope Francis during a challenging period of international negotiations.
While she avoided naming Trump directly, the pontiff’s words—“Bend, bend, bend, but make sure it doesn’t break”—profoundly influenced her approach.
Merkel also reflects on her reaction to Trump’s recent electoral victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. This reaction mirrored a lot of how the Left felt about Trump’s win, which was sadness and frustration.
In an interview with Der Spiegel, Merkel admitted feeling disheartened: “It was already a disappointment for me that Hillary Clinton didn’t win in 2016. I would have liked a different outcome.”
In addition to her experiences with Trump, Merkel delves into her complex relationship with Vladimir Putin.
She describes Putin as a leader who was “always on guard not to be treated badly, and always ready to dish out punishment.”
This dynamic, she notes, often played out in symbolic gestures, such as the infamous 2007 meeting where Putin brought his black labrador despite knowing Merkel’s fear of dogs.
Merkel also sheds light on her controversial 2008 decision to block Ukraine from joining NATO, a move made under pressure from Russia.
She recalls Putin’s chilling remark: “You will not be chancellor forever. And then [Ukraine and Georgia] will become NATO members. And I want to prevent that.”
Now retired from politics, Merkel has largely stayed out of the public eye since 2021.
But she’s found it a convenient time to bash Donald Trump despite him making one of the greatest political comebacks in American history.
She too must be suffering from a form of Trump Derangement Syndrome.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
