Sign up for our newsletter.

Quality journalism. Progressive values. Direct to your inbox.

Follow us:

THIS ISN’T A PAYWALL

Common Dreams will never be locked behind a paywall because we believe our journalism should remain freely available to everyone ― not just those who can afford to pay. By becoming a sustaining monthly donor today, you can help make sure our work remains free for those who aren't able to chip in.

To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.

Angela Merkel and Donald Trump

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Donald Trump pose for a photograph before their joint press conference Friday. (Photo: Getty)

Twitter Lights Up After 'Too Embarrassing to Watch' Trump-Merkel Press Conference

President Donald Trump slipped up and called the U.S. a "company," ignored German Chancellor Angela Merkel's request for a handshake, and called a German press outlet "fake news"

Nika Knight Beauchamp

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel met with President Donald Trump for the first time Friday, and the encounter between the liberal European leader and the far-right, demagogic president was, if anything, extraordinarily awkward.

Trump ignored Merkel's request for a handshake, provoked a look of disbelief when he repeated his allegations that President Barack Obama wiretapped his phones—"we have that in common," he told Merkel—and called a German newspaper "fake news" after a reporter asked him a question. He appeared to find it difficult to bring himself to look at the German chancellor.

And while many expected that Merkel, who has advocated welcoming and resettling refugees even as other European countries have closed their borders to asylum seekers, would clash with Trump over immigration, Trump instead appeared to entirely dodge her appeal for more humane immigration policies.

On Twitter, disbelief and embarrassment was the overwhelming response to what one pundit described as the "most remarkable/bizarre press conference between two allies I've ever seen":

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Comments

We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.

To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.

Latest News

See all

Indignation as Michigan Judge Drops Flint Water Charges Against GOP Ex-Gov Snyder

"The people of Flint deserve justice—and it's unacceptable that the people responsible for Flint's water crisis aren't being held accountable," said Food & Water Watch in response to the development.

Brett Wilkins ·

Railroad workers

70+ Lawmakers Tell Biden 'You Can and You Must' Provide Rail Workers Paid Sick Leave

"As president, you and your administration have a number of tools at your disposal to make sure rail workers are guaranteed paid sick leave," wrote the lawmakers.

Julia Conley ·

COP15 Indigenous presser

COP15 Biodiversity Summit Highlights 'Deadly' US Attitude Toward the World

"While others play by the rules, the most powerful nation refuses," writes George Monbiot. "If this country were a person, we'd call it a psychopath. As it is not a person, we should call it what it is: a rogue state."

Jessica Corbett ·

Birx Trump Fauci

Final House Covid Panel Report Exposes 'Reckless' Trump Pandemic Response

The publication accuses top Trump officials of "failed stewardship" and a "persistent pattern of political interference" that undermined the nation's response to a pandemic that has killed more than a million people in the United States.

Brett Wilkins ·

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) talks to reporters in the U.S. Capitol on December 1, 2022 in Washington, D.C.

As NYT Staffers Strike, Sanders Calls for 'New Ways to Empower' Workers Battling Industry Giants

"We need to rebuild and protect a diverse and truly independent press so that real journalists and media workers can do the critical jobs that they love, and that a functioning democracy requires," said the Vermont progressive.

Kenny Stancil ·

Common Dreams Logo

To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.