The News
World politicians are scrambling to excuse past critical comments about Donald Trump as he returns to power.
The Australian ambassador to the US removed old tweets, notably one calling Trump “the most destructive president in history,” as the country’s prime minister reached out to congratulate Trump — a man he himself once said “scares the shit out of me.”
As a backbench MP in 2018, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy called Trump “a woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathizing sociopath,” something he now says is “old news.”
And Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who once said Trump should “stop lying,” also sang a different tune, saying, “I look forward to our cooperation.”
SIGNALS
European allies make the case for continued cooperation
US allies are racing to get off to a better start with Trump than they did in 2016, when world leaders were more circumspect about the billionaire’s unexpected victory. One of their key messages is that they can offer real benefits to the US. “Working together is more effective than working against each other, Nils Schmid, a German lawmaker, told Semafor, although he conceded that “the transatlantic relationship is becoming rougher, as Trump does not view Germany and the EU as partners.” Europeans have stressed that Europe and the US need each other, with EU diplomats pointing to the Netherlands’ role in restricting China’s semiconductor industry, the importance of European markets for American companies, and the fact that the only time NATO’s article 5 mutual defense clause has been triggered was after the 9/11 attacks.
Key US allies in Indo-Pacific are less concerned
While European allies are worried about a reduced US commitment to NATO and Ukraine, American partners in the Indo-Pacific have higher hopes that the Trump administration will continue to value those relationships as it seeks to maintain pressure on China. The Philippine ambassador to the US told Reuters that he thought potential policy changes under Trump would be “minimal” and could even be beneficial, saying that “it is in their interest that the Indo-Pacific region remains free, peaceful and stable.” But some experts believe the US’ Asian allies should be more worried: “A second Trump administration is likely to be far more disruptive for Asia than the first one was,” an analyst wrote in Foreign Affairs, arguing that Trump is likely to see Asian allies as trade adversaries and reduce the US’ military presence in the region.