Trump's first UK post-election interview: Brexit a 'great thing'

[brooklynite]

Source: The Guardian

Donald Trump has praised Britain as “smart” for opting out of a European Union that he believes is dominated by Germany and on the brink of collapse, in an interview with a former Tory leadership contender, Michael Gove.

The president-elect promised to draw up a trade deal with the UK “quickly” after Brexit and said he could understand why voters chose to leave in last year’s referendum. “You look at the European Union and it’s Germany. Basically a vehicle for Germany. That’s why I thought the UK was so smart in getting out,” he told Gove.

Gove, the first senior Conservative to meet Trump, spent an hour chatting to the president-elect in what he called his “glitzy, golden man cave” in Trump Tower, New York, for an interview with the Times.

Trump stressed his fondness for the UK and said other countries could follow its lead and leave the EU, something Gove predicted during the referendum campaign. “I believe others will leave. I do think keeping it together is not gonna be as easy as a lot of people think,” said Trump.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/15/trumps-first-uk-post-election-interview-brexit-a-great-thing

---

As I recall, Trump had no clue what "Brexit" meant until the vote occurred...

[cstanleytech]

1. "Siri, what is "Brexit"?" I can actually imagine Trump saying that. nt

[mobeau69]

2. Putin would be all for breaking up the EU.

That's the ticket.

[lark]

8. Why do you think drumpf is saying this?

Pootie has now added the EU to drumpfs destruction targets so he has to sing that song or risk pootie letting out the tape of him taking $$ from russia for his campaign and taking orders as well.

[mobeau69]

11. That's it. Putin's useful idiot.

This is not good.

[TreasonousBastard]

3. Europe rose from the ashes of WWII to form the first union since the Roman Empire...

The holy roman empire couldn't pull it off, the Vikings couldn't do it, raging Mongol hordes couldn't do it, Napoleon couldn't do it, Hitler couldn't do it.

What did it was modern communication and understanding that we do better in peace than in war. The EU should be a model for the planet in how people can put aside their differences and work together for the common good, but now the US position is that this isn't a good thing.

Do not destroy the good in the quest for the perfect. And, more importantly, do not destroy the good because you're an ignorant asshole.

[branford]

5. What the EU "should" be is irrelevant in light of what it was, is, and its vision of the future.

There is no need for a federal European state in order to join European countries in peace and common purpose. This was accomplished by the "modern communication and understanding" you cite, and even moreso by mutually beneficial trade and globalization.

The EU has serious problems, including transparency, competence and a significant democratic deficit. The EU bureaucrats and boosters talk often of "reform," yet little happens. Given British attitudes since the EEC, Brexit was hardly surprising. It also reflects a reaction to globalization and wealthy urban elites by many in the middle and working class and rural votes akin to the sentiments that helped elect Trump here in the USA.

Trump is not destroying the EU. They are doing a damn good job all by themselves, and well before Trump's ascendency. If the EU wants to survive, it has to improve and respect the will of European voters, even when it's not the same as elite EU federalists. That's how it will avoid making the perfect the enemy of the good.

[LeftishBrit]

9. All organizations have serious problems; but we have for a long time not been in a world where

any country can just survive on its own. What people don't realize is that it's not just the EU. Most countries are in some sort of trading bloc, or in process of forming them: in the Far East, Africa, Latin America, everywhere,

A lot of the problem in the UK is people blaming the EU for what were really the actions of the UK government. Thatcherism destroyed a lot of British industry and increased inequality, unemployment and poverty. On a less extreme, but still regrettable level, Blairism increased bureaucracy and excessive management-culture. And we have been encouraged to scapegoat the EU for all these things.

Even if I thought it was otherwise a good idea for Britain to leave the EU, the point it that we've got to trade with *someone* to survive; and if we reduce our trade with the EU, we will increase our economic dependence on China, Saudi Arabia, the unspeakable creature about to invade the White House, etc.

The EU is not 'destroying itself' though it has its own problems. I'm not the greatest fan of the single currency, for example - though we are not in the Eurozone, so not directly affected. But the EU is not only extremely important economically, but as a bulwark against internal and external fascism. Trump may not be able to destroy the EU; but his existence and potential evil influence makes it particularly important that the EU keeps together.

The biggest danger is indeed that the far right will gain power in too many Europaean countries, and that Trump might seek to encourage this. I do think that the EU expanded a little too quickly, and did not vet the human rights and social records of a few countries sufficiently, and make more demands for reform before accession: in particular, I think that Hungary's current standard of human rights is below what should be the standard. If a significant number of countries elect far-right governments (we dodged a bullet with Austria; the biggest danger is now that France could elect LePen, though I think they'll be wise enough not to do so), then we might indeed reach a point where it would be better for the UK to leave. Even trying to survive on a desert island, though not great, would be better than collaborating with neo-fascist monsters. But I hope and trust that we will not reach that point.

And with regard to 'elite EU federalists': what makes EU leaders more 'elite' than the billionaire, mostly non-resident, media owners, who have been agitating for Brexit for decades and are now about to get their wish, unfortunately?

[Denzil_DC]

10. Since the Brexit vote,

all the polling has shown increased support for EU membership among the other EU countries - and before you moan about polls, in each case it's well outside the margin of error.

[branford]

13. Are these the same polling outfits that predicted Clinton would win

a blowout election this past November?

The ever increasing rise of the right and far right wing parties across most countries in Europe speaks for itself.

[Denzil_DC]

15. "Are these the same polling outfits that predicted Clinton would win"

And there it is:

As I said: "and before you moan about polls, in each case it's well outside the margin of error"

But you're obviously highly invested in your own narrative of reality, so I'll just let you stroll on your merry way.

[branford]

16. Clinton's purported blowout was also outside the margin of error.

As I said, the ever increasing rise of the right across Europe is an undeniable fact and the best evidence of the electoral mood of Europeans.

I am most certainly not against the EU. However, if it doesn't effectively respond to crises (and not use them as a stock excuse for "more Europe&quot or more substantially and demonstrably reflect the will of European voters, even when they reject even closer integration, the EU will, and quite frankly should, begin to fail.

Trump's remarks certainly didn't help European bureaucrats or entrenched hardcore federalists (and definitely created grief for Merkel at home), but the current problems with the EU and opposition to German migrant policies existed well before Trump, and will need to be resolved without the USA.

[Denzil_DC]

18. Do you actually live in Europe, ior are you basing what you know on selective media?

Have you seen the results of recent elections where the likes of you were confidently predicting the continuing rise of the right (like Austria)?

To backtrack and answer your first question to me, no, these weren't the same polls that were predicting a Clinton "landslide" (if you'd actually followed the polls in an intelligent fashion, maybe the result would have been a bit less of a surprise).

As I said, you're heavily invested in this narrative. I have no further interest in discussing it with you.

[branford]

20. 46% of Austrians voted for the far right candidate president,

a country that post-WWII generally abhors the right. That is astonishing, and the electorates in other EU countries are trending even further right, including France, the Netherlands (Geert Wilders!), almost all of Eastern Europe, etc. to say nothing of the fact that Britain just voted to leave the EU. Merkel has even not so gradually backtracked on her migrant policies due to domestic public backlash.

I'm not European, and thus not "invested in the narrative." However, I'm not blind. If you and other Europeans don't acknowledge the rise of the right and actually reform the EU (which the EU admits is must do), it will begin to unravel, a prospect that I assume neither one of us would relish as a matter of global stability and security.

Simply, Trump is a narcissist with frw diplomatic skills, but that doesn't mean he's not media and politically savvy and doesn't understand populist trends in the USA and abroad.

[TeamPooka]

4. Start taking Russian lessons UK, France, and Germany.

[DetlefK]

6. The EU is a german vehicle because nobody else is willing to do the job of leading the EU.

Remember how, when there's some crisis in the world, the world looks to the US to help out with diplomatic, military and financial power?
Remember how the Arabic League, right after the disastrous Iraq-war, declared that they would greatly welcome US-efforts to restore stability in Syria?

It's the same with Germany in the EU. It has the biggest economy, so whenever there's a problem to be solved with diplomatic or financial power, the other EU-countries expect Germany to step forward and do the job. "Hey, big guy, take care of that, will ya."
Germany doesn't want that position. It would prefer dealing from the background and using its economic veto-power to reign in when things get out of hand. But Germany gets pushed into the leadership position because nobody else can do that job precisely BECAUSE Germany has this unofficial veto-power.

[branford]

14. Germany was also forced to adopt the euro as the price of reunification.

There is no doubt that Germany is a reluctant leader in the EU.

Quite frankly, that's irrelevant, and does not excuse or explain Merkel's extremely unpopular migrant policies, many of which have changed due to obvious electoral concerns.

[LeftishBrit]

7. EEEUURRRRRGGGGHHHH!

I was going to vote Remain anyway, but the thought that American Psycho could get into the White House certainly strengthened my resolve. Yes, of course he and his pal Godfather Putin like Brexit; we are more easily exploited if we are isolated. I certainly hope they don't mess around with other EU countries, but our example might act as a cautionary tale for them, rather than an example.

And when I first saw a photo of Gove and the Unspeakable together, I thought it must be photoshopped; but no, the revolting creatures were there together; I'm not sure that my digestion will ever recover!

[Denzil_DC]

12. I've said it elsewhere, and I won't apologize for repeating:

Can you imagine the shrieking if a European leader was openly egging on the break-up of the United States?

The more Trump opens his tiny, pursed mouth, the more he reveals the unfathomable depth of his ignorance about world affairs. It would be more scary if it was a surprise.

[branford]

17. European leaders criticize and even condemn the USA all the time,

everything from healthcare and general economics to how our First Amendment allows "hate speech" and our huge military spending and "imperialism. Such criticism so common as to barely be newsworthy, and most Americans don't really care about European opinions about our country.

While I don't believe Trump's comments were diplomatic or productive, I have to admit a certain sense of schadenfreude that Europeans were openly on the receiving end of such open criticism. What's good for goose...

My biggest gripe is that with the exception of Britain, Poland and Greece, virtually all other NATO members pay a mere fraction of their NATO treaty financial and resource obligations. Even Germany only pays about half what they are supposed to. If the Europeans believe Russia is such a threat on the doorstep (and I personally believe it is), they need to step up and uphold their treaty commitments and demonstrate their seriousness with their proverbial checkbooks, even if redirecting social spending to military matters is politically unpopular at home. This is all the more true now that Britain, one of only two major militaries in the EU, is leaving the federation.

I would note that President Obama has also openly criticised the Europeans for failing to meet their NATO obligations. It received little attention because Europeans simply assumed that Obama, and then presumably Clinton, would never force the issue. They're scrambling now that Trump might appear to be more than talk on the matter.

[Denzil_DC]

19. As a rule, they don't openly support and cheer on secessionists.

I'm not arguing strawmen with you.

[branford]

21. Unlike the USA,

it's perfectly lawful for a country to leave the EU (which itself is not a country). I would also suggest you Google some comments by notable European leaders about Scottish secession pre and post-Brexit.

EU leaders also meddle in American affairs all the time, including very openly supporting Clinton for president. Although I certainly voted for Clinton over Trump, it was not lost on me that if EU leaders so openly chose a side in the US elections, and that candidate didn't win, there would be serious geopolitical repercussion, particularly for someone like Trump who takes matters very personally and appears to have no qualms about upsetting the status quo. I, along with everyone else on DU, regret that Trump will soon be president, but EU leaders picked a fight with Trump many months ago, and they may now regret such interference.

[Denzil_DC]

23. None of this twaddle contradicts my original point.

Keep going, bud. You're on mute.

[Sid Fishes]

22. "Brexit is my very favorite cereal"

"Me and Ivanka eat it in bed every morning."

[Denzil_DC]

24. "Trump to Europe: Drop dead"

Op-ed by Scottish writer Alex Massie:

EDINBURGH — It is, remarkably, no exaggeration to say that almost everyone in Europe awaits the presidency of Donald Trump with a sense of dread. Almost everyone, that is, save for the resurgent parties of the populist far-right who see, in Trump, an example they dearly wish to emulate.

The European mainstream, however, shrinks from Trump as it has never shrunk from any previous American president. No, not Ronald Reagan and no, not even George W Bush either. Trump has not even taken office and he is already the most dangerous U.S. president in living memory. Perhaps, even, of all time.

Whatever else they were, Reagan and Bush were both men of some political experience. Trump, as he told the Times of London and Germany’s Bild, is “not a politician” and that is precisely the point. The generous assessment of the president-elect’s potential allows that his less than conventional approach to international affairs ensures that America’s foes will not easily be able to fathom or predict his intentions.

There is some merit in being a surprise package. But even if that is the case, the same consideration applies to the United States’ allies. And the questions being asked in European capitals tonight are simple one: Is this a president we can rely upon? A president whose word is his bond? A president with whom we can do business?

http://www.politico.eu/article/trump-to-europe-drop-dead/

[Vinca]

25. I wish someone would ask him what the acronym "NATO" stands for.

Nice And Tidy Order? New Age Tomato Omelets? Nips And Tits Only? The man is totally clueless and probably one of the dumbest people I've ever watched on the public stage. This is terrifying.