Trump remarks undermine America’s strength: Merkel
German Chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday condemned President Donald Trump’s xenophobic tweets against four minority Democratic congresswomen, saying the US leader’s attacks “go against what makes America great”.
“I firmly distance myself from (the attacks) and I feel solidarity towards” the women, she told journalists.
“Those (President Trump’s comments) are sentiments which are very much in opposition to my impressions (about the US) … and it is something that undermines America’s strength.”
Trump on Sunday urged a group of four progressive Democratic congresswomen of colour -- all American citizens and three of them US-born -- to “go back” to their countries of origin.
Despite a domestic uproar over the comments which were deemed “racist” by the House of Representatives, Trump repeatedly renewed his attack.
“If you’re not happy here, you can leave.... This is about love for America, certain people hate our country,” he tweeted on Tuesday, while repeating the same message to a rally on Wednesday.
International condemnation has rained down over the comments. British Prime Minister Theresa May called them “completely unacceptable”. New Zealand’s leader Jacinda Ardern said she “completely and utterly” disagreed with Trump.
Questions over racism are particularly sensitive in Germany given its Nazi past, and the government routinely speaks out forcefully in favour of tolerance and diversity.
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