Memoir of former German chancellor recalls US president’s soft spot for tyrants and apparent fascination with Putin

Summary

In her memoir Freedom, Angela Merkel reflects on her misjudgment of Donald Trump, initially treating him as “completely normal” before realizing his emotional nature and authoritarian inclinations.

She recounts his attempts to humiliate her, his zero-sum worldview, and fascination with autocratic leaders like Vladimir Putin.

Merkel also critiques Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accord and his hostility toward Germany.

Addressing her legacy, she discusses tensions with Putin over NATO and acknowledges criticism of her reliance on Russian gas and liberal refugee policies.

  • Maalus@lemmy.worldEnglish
    305·
    2 days ago

    That’s why you have advisors, secretaries and other people who are there to help you learn about someone without you having to spend days on it. Especially when said someone is a president of an entire country, and a rather important one.

    • MacGuffin94@lemmy.worldEnglish
      21·
      2 days ago

      Agreed, and the passing from the article implies that she was prepped and had an idea that he was shitty then realized how terrible a person he is once he met her. He’s in the news so much over the last 8-9 years but before 2015/2016 most people knew fairly little about him unless you read his biography which his biographer has come out and said it’s very sanitized.