The decline of the US-German relationship is not just about Trump

It would be the understatement of the century to say that the normally constructive and cordial relationship between the United States and Germany was experiencing a few hiccups in the age of Donald Trump. Notwithstanding talk about mutual respect and friendship during shared photo sessions, Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are not exactly two peas in a pod. In fact, the two leaders are polar opposites in temperament, experience, and worldview: Trump is the loud-mouth, condescending, bull-in-a-china shop from New York who campaigned on burning America’s political system to the ground; Merkel is the consummate European politician deeply attached to multilateralism and extremely devoted to the rules-based international order.

Trump and Merkel not only carry different personalities, but are leading two countries increasingly in competition on critical foreign policy issues. While it’s an undeniable fact that a US president not named Donald Trump would likely be a more docile and agreeable partner for the Germans to work with (who can forget the story of Trump throwing a hard candy at Merkel during this year’s G7 meeting with a dismissive, ‘Here, Angela.