Transatlantic relations

Saturday, 2 June 2018 - 06:00 pm (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination: Knut Wingsch
Category/Kategorie: General, Editorial, EU blog post series, European Union Reading Time: 609 minutes

Transatlanticism symbol: a hybrid out of the Europa and Stars and Stripes © Patrikpluhar/cc-by-sa-3.0

Transatlantic symbol: A hybrid of the European flag and the Stars and Stripes © Patrikpluhar/cc-by-sa-3.0

(Latest update: 23 August 2022) Transatlantic relations refer to the historic, cultural, political, economic and social relations between countries on both side of the Atlantic Ocean. Sometimes specifically those between the United States, Canada and the countries in Europe, although other meanings are possible. There are a number of issues over which the United States and Europe generally disagree. Some of these are cultural, such as the U.S. use of the death penalty, some are international issues such as the Middle East peace process where the United States is often seen as pro-Israel and where Europe is often seen as pro-Arab (Arab–Israeli conflict), and many others are trade related. The current U.S. policies are often described as being unilateral in nature, whereas the European Union and Canada are often said to take a more multilateral approach, relying more on the United Nations and other international institutions to help solve issues. There are many other issues upon which they agree. This article refers to the relations between the EU (Culture of Europe, Economy of the European Union, History of Europe, and Politics of the European Union) and the USA (Culture of the United States, Economy of the United States, History of the United States, and Politics of the United States).

Content

Introduction
Free Trade
Iran
Trade Disputes
Politics
Free Press
EU and USA
Results of Trump’s first 500 days in office
Impeachment I
Knowledge Gains
2020 United States presidential election
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris
“New Deal”, the restart of transatlantic relations
Impeachment II
Causes

Introduction
Transatlantic relations, as part of the post-war order after WWII, led to significant economic growth, democratization, freedom and peace in the West (G7). All who participated, including the later EU, benefited from it. By the election of the 45th US President (The Washington Post, 27 May 2018: Trump may be the worst presidential dealmaker in modern history), this order is now massively disrupted and threatens to remain damaged at least in the medium term. The remaining G6+1 (The Washington Post, 10 June 2018: Trump turns the G-7 into the G-6 vs. G-1) will continue to adhere to existing principles, rules and guidelines (World Trade Organization). However, it is questionable whether this will and can succeed without the US, when the other two major power blocs, the US and China, not only work against it, but pursue active, nationalistic isolation and protection policies.

Free Trade
While #45 (Iron Maiden: Can I Play With Madness – Madman Theory as part of the Game Theory) complains about supposedly unfair US product access to the EU and Germany’s supposedly unfair trade volume to the US, let’s take a look at the facts: One of #45’s first official acts was to stopp TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership), an agreement that was meant to completely abolish all tariffs and access difficulties between the US and the EU. After that happened, #45 in all seriousness began to tell the fairy tale about “unfair conditions”, conditions that he himself actively supports and upholds by his own actions. Of course, a “TTIP Light” (no tariffs on industrial goods, etc.) would be possible as well, but even this alternative is been rejected by the “experts” of the US administration. In the meantime, a trade agreement has been signed between Mexico and the EU, and a free trade agreement (CETA) has been signed between Canada and the EU (European Union free trade agreements). The JEFTA (Japan-EU Free Trade Agreement) is scheduled to come into force in 2019 (BBC, 17 July 2018: EU signs its biggest free trade deal with Japan). A free trade agreement with the South American Mercosur is in preparation. Similar negotiations are underway with Australia and New Zealand. The EU’s approach to China is on the way, too. #45 dealt with the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) in the same way as with TTIP, while TPP was meant in particular to contain China’s activities in the Pacific region. This hasn’t worked out by active and own action of #45, while at the same time the US President now tell the fairy tale about allegedly unfair trading conditions in China (in the core, he is right by mistake and for the wrong reasons). Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has ensured that TPP continues (CPTPP – Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) even without the US. It’s not even possible to clarify fact-resistent # 45, that 70% of foreign direct investments in the US come from the EU and now provides 7 million jobs for Americans, in opposite to the 5 million jobs created by US direct investment in the EU. Even his narrow view of the transatlantic trade can at best be described as “uninformed”. While it is true that the US has a deficit of $ 153 billion in goods with the EU, it generates a surplus of $ 157 billion in services and corporate profits. In Trump’s “logic”, the US owes the EU at least $ 4 billion annually or in his words “The USA is treating the EU very unfairly. We see the EU as a piggy bank, that we are robbing off again and again. This has to stop. God and my German grandfather, great deal makers and the two awesome founders of the fantastic United States of America, doesn’t want us to rob anyone.” Germany’s alleged unfair trade volume with the United States corresponds to the share of US corporate investments in Germany. So, if you want to reduce trade volume, then of course, corporate investments need to be reduced to the same extent. This would #45 certainly like that much, that his Twitter account might explode. Much more simple-minded, fatuous, unprofessional and incompetent, a US president (and probably the most frequently sued New Yorker of all times) can neither talk, act nor tweet.

That #45 is serious about the isolation of the US can be seen at the US Department of State, which is in a state of disrepair since early January. After taking over the presidency by #45, a large number of executives (including ambassadors – Bloomberg, 2 February 2018: At Trump’s State Department, Eight of Ten Top Jobs Are Empty) have canceld their jobs or were sacked, if they didn’t agree with #45’s agenda. With them, a lot of very special know-how and a large number of contacts went south. To this day, the vacancies aren’t filled so that serious US foreign policy can only take place on a small scale (mainly at night on Twitter). It will take years to replenish and revive the gaps that have been torn.

The tariffs already imposed and announced suggest that the “experts” of the current US administration have never heard of global production and supply chains, and will be very surprised when the punitive measures and access difficulties to the US market will finally hit them (The Washington Post, 31 May 2018: Trump imposes steel and aluminum tariffs on the E.U., Canada and Mexico, BBC, 1 June 2018: US tariffs a dangerous game, says EU, NPR, 1 June 2018: U.S. Steel And Aluminum Tariffs Are ‘Illegal,’ EU Trade Commissioner Says, Reuters, 1 June 2018: Moment of truth arrives for EU after U.S. tariffs strike, DW, 1 June 2018: As US tariffs go into effect, Europe, Canada and Mexico strike back and The New York Times, 25 June 2018: Harley-Davidson, Blaming E.U. Tariffs, Will Move Some Production Out of U.S.). It will contribute to the generally good transatlantic mood, that from July 2018 on, the EU countermeasures (Reuters, 6 June 2018: EU plans to hit U.S. imports with duties from July) to #45’s special tariffs will go into effect. They will hit those US states in particular, which will be important to Republicans during the primaries in early November 2018 (BBC, 9 June 2018: G7: Trump isolated over trade and Russia on first day, BBC, 9 June 2018: G7 commits to ‘rules-based trading system’ despite tensions with US, The New York Times, 9 June 2018: Trump Invitation to Russia Deepens Rift With America’s Allies, The New York Times, 9 June 2018: Trump Says U.S. Will No Longer Be ‘Piggy Bank That Everybody’s Robbing’, The Guardian, 10 June 2018: G7 in disarray after Trump rejects communique and attacks ‘weak’ Trudeau, The New York Times, 10 June 2018: Trump Refuses to Sign G-7 Statement and Calls Trudeau ‘Weak’, The Washington Post, 10 June 2018: European leaders are outraged by Trump over G-7 statement. But they’re not surprised., BBc, 10 June 2018: G7 summit: War of words erupts between US and key allies, CNN, 10 June 2018: McCain to allies: ‘Americans stand with you, even if our president doesn’t’, Senator Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader, has his own view: Are we executing Putin’s diplomatic and national security strategy or AMERICA’s diplomatic and national security strategy?, The New York Times, 10 June 2018: Trump Tries to Destroy the West, The New York Times, 10 June 2018: Escalating Clash With Canada, Trump Is Isolated Before North Korea Meeting, The Washington Post, 6 June 2018: Schumer seeks Obama’s help for Senate Democrats in midterm elections, Deutsche Welle, 13 June 2018: Germany’s answer to ‘America First’ is ‘Europe United’, Project Syndicate, written by Guy Verhofstadt: Why “America First” Means “Europe United”, Reuters, 14 June 2018: EU nations back retaliating against U.S. steel tariffs, Haaretz, 12 June 2018: If You Boycott Israel, Shouldn’t You Boycott Trump’s America as Well? (The New York Times, 24 April 2019: Would Any Atrocity Turn Off Investors to Saudi Arabia?), The Guardian, 9 July 2018: Liberal Europe isn’t dead yet. But its defenders face a long, hard struggle, Politico.com, 16 April 2019: U.S. to announce tough policy on businesses in Cuba and DW, 17 April 2019: New US policy on seized property in Cuba threatens EU ties (the funny thing is that Cuban exiles from the US have invested huge sums of dollars in Cuba with the help of Cuban middlemen, primarily in real estate. So, this shot is likely to end up in the foot of the US president. The Palestinians will be happy to note the Trump administration’s decision, as it will open the way for them to seek compensation for expropriation from Israel. The “stable genius” Donnie, once again, did a great job)). As a countermeasure to his own punitive tariffs, Trump now focuses on socialism in the US and provides subsidies to farmers. If only the Republicans knew, as “socialism” is to them what “hell” is for religious Christians: Politico, 24 July 2018: Trump to offer farmers $12B in trade aid. At least higher tariffs on cars seems to be off the table for the moment, even though they might be back on the table after the midterm elections: Politico, Trump isolated in his push for tariffs on foreign cars, Reuters, 11 December 2019: Revamped USMCA allows Mexico to bring labour complaints in U.S. – Mexican official, BBC, 11 December 2019: USMCA: Agreement reached on Nafta trade deal replacement, Reuters, 11 December 2019: JPMorgan’s Dimon endorses trade deal, tackles central bank measures.

Trade Disputes
Tariffs are one thing, arbitrary controls of foreign investors and their investments the other (The New York Times, 5 March 2018: Cfius, Powerful and Unseen, Is a Gatekeeper on Major Deals, with exceptions: The New York Times, 28 May 2018: Ivanka Trump Wins China Trademarks, Then Her Father Vows to Save ZTE (The Guardian, 24 July 2018: Ivanka Trump to close fashion brand amid consumer backlash) – The New York Times, 28 April 2017: White House of Grifters, The New York Times, 2 February 2018: Trump’s Corruption of the American Republic, and Vice, 14 May 2018: Trump’s Rampant Corruption Will Actually Hurt Him Soon). Entrepreneurial activity is now associated with unpredictable risks for foreign investors. The nepotism exercised by #45 and his frontrunners, while a highlight of Central African government work, is absolutely unworthy of the work of a US administration (The Guardian, 2 June 2018: Donald Trump and the erosion of Democratic norms in America). The hard work of US President Barack Obama over the years to build trust in the US again, which was desperately needed after Bush Juniors presidency, has #45 completely lost within weeks and probably permanently damaged, especially since there is no reason to assume that one can trust in any statement of the actual US administration, except for one: The US administration will not stick to any agreement. After all, the EU has learned how to deal with it, because the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the unofficial Polish Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński (and others) have been acting in exactly the same way for years.

Politics
Of course, the European public has long since become accustomed to Putin, Erdoğan and Netanyahu trolls. Now just Trump trolls are added. The Trump troll and redneck, who has recently been appointed US ambassador to Germany, has a considerable amount of right-wing scrutiny, Richard Grenell (Der Spiegel, 11 January 2019: Isolated in Berlin: Trump’s Ambassador Finds Few Friends in Germany and DW, 19 March 2019: Germany: US ambassador Richard Grenell should be expelled, says FDP deputy leader), who recently caused an uproar in an interview with the British offshoot of the US Internet platform Breitbart (CNN, 5 June 2018: US Ambassador to Germany provokes backlash with Breitbart interview, USA Today, 4 June 2018: U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell wants to ’empower’ Europe’s right and Politico Europe, 5 June 2018: German politicians call on US to withdraw ambassador), the American counterpart to the German Der Stürmer, because his actions are completely against international diplomatic practice. Previously, he had already got in hot water because of his comments about #45’s one-sided termination of the Iran Deal (The Washington Post, 5 June 2018: The U.S. ambassador in Germany flies the Trumpist flag and Bloomberg, 9 May 2018: Trump’s Ambassador to Germany Stokes Furor Over Iran Just One Day Into Job). Within a very short time he lowered US diplomacy in Germany to junk-level and brought it on par with Russia’s “diplomacy”. He could not express more clearly that he a) is just as incompetent as his employer and b) a large part of his potential conversation partners will reduce contacts to the minimum. Thanks for that, after all, because the time gained in this way can finally be put to good use elsewhere. The second wellknown Trump troll is the former Breitbart editor and right-wing extremist Steve Bannon, who, hand in hand with Grenell, wants to mobilize the European far right weirdos to merge them into a European Alt-Right movement (HetNieuweInstituut.nl – Steve_Bannon: A Propaganda Retrospective, The Washington Post, 13 March 2018: In Europe, Steve Bannon can still play the hero, Politico Magazine, March/April 2017: The Man Who Wants to Unmake the West, The Guardian, 21 April 2018: Sharks, zealots and the apocalypse: welcome to Steve Bannon’s movie world, The Guardian, 6 May 2018: Steve Bannon is on a far-right mission to radicalise Europe, The Guardian, 6 June 2018: Steve Bannon is on a far-right mission to radicalise Europe, n+1, 18 June 2018: The Globalist: George Soros after the open society, The Daily Beast, 20 July 2018: Hellfire Club: Inside Bannon’s Plan to Hijack Europe for the Far-Right and Deutsche Welle, 23 July 2018: German politicians allied against Steve Bannon (Daily Beast, 28 March 2019: ‘The Brink’ Exposes Steve Bannon as a Fascist Fraud, Haaretz, 22 April 2019: Steve Bannon’s Fascist Far Right Christian Army Is Marching on Liberal Europe – and on the Pope, The Guardian, 20 August 2020: Steve Bannon arrested and charged with fraud over border wall campaign, The New York Times, 20 August 2020: Trumpism Is a Racket, and Steve Bannon Knew It, CNN, 20 August 2020: Steve Bannon charged with fraud in border wall campaign, CNN, 22 August 2020: What Steve Bannon bust reveals about ‘building the wall’, The Guardian, 23 August 2020: Steve Bannon: Ex-Trump adviser ‘in a world of trouble’, says James Comey, The Washington Post, 23 August 2020: How a veteran’s idea to solicit donations for a border wall won over Trump supporters — and produced conspiracy charges, The Atlantic, 30 August 2020: The Truth About Steve Bannon). It will become interesting and at the same time extremely funny for observers, when the nationalists of the EU states will be confronted with the reality, like the German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer and his CSU supporters Markus Söder, Andreas Scheuer and Alexander Dobrindt recently experienced together with the right-wing populists from Austria and Italy and their laughable “axis of the willing” (which triggered a coalition crisis in Germany because of five to ten immigrants per day, and is expected to cost the CSU the state elections in Bavaria). Nationalism works only in its own national state and excludes success across several national states by definition. It can only work within the EU if the EU itself is understood as a national state, so that an EU nationalism can evolve to find common, sustainable and viable solutions. However, Europe’s nationalists can’t think in such a dimension). While one can only be astonished as an observer about with what incredible impudence foreign and obviously (constitutional) hostile minded forces can spread their hatred across Europe undisturbed by state powers, the situation for the German right wingers (AfD, NPD, Pegida, Identitäre, Reichsbürger and so on), the Putin cheerleaders, is a real challenge to them, especially since they no longer know whether they should pray three times a day towards the Kremlin or instead now better towards the White House and therefore yowle subservient and precautionary in both directions.

Free Press
After Trump’s endless, baseless and disgusting “Fake News” lies against the free US press and thus as an attack on the freedom of press in general, the US press is now resisting: Miami Herald, 15 August 2018: President Trump, we’re not ‘enemies of the people.’ End your war on our free press, The New York Times, 15 August 2018: A Free Press Needs You and The Guardian, 16 August 2018: Almost 350 news outlets to publish editorials denouncing Trump’s ‘dirty war’ on press. In fact, the current most prominent US “Fake News” outlets besides Fox News are the White House Press Service and the US President’s Twitter account: Reuters, 16 August 2018: Senate adopts resolution backing free press after Trump attacks, The Wall Street Journal, 24 October 2019: Trump to Tell Federal Agencies to Cut New York Times, Washington Post Subscriptions, The Guardian, 24 October 2019: White House to federal agencies: cancel New York Times and Washington Post subscriptions, The New York Times, 24 October 2019: Trump Cancels Subscriptions to The New York Times and The Washington Post, NPR, 2 December 2019: Putin Approves Law Labeling Journalists ‘Foreign Agents’ In Russia, BBC, 3 December 2019: Russia to label individuals as ‘foreign agents’ under new law, The Guardian, 3 December 2019: Putin approves law targeting journalists as ‘foreign agents’, CNN, 16 December 2019: Boris Johnson may go after the BBC’s funding, The New York Times, 16 December 2019: With Echoes of Trump, Boris Johnson Scorns the BBC, Al Arabiya, 7 March 2020: The New York Times, Washington Post, now CNN: Trump campaign files third lawsuit, The New York Times, 30 May 2020: A Reporter’s Cry on Live TV: ‘I’m Getting Shot! I’m Getting Shot!’, CNN, 31 May 2020: Journalists covering protests face assault and arrest, DW, 1 June 2020: US attack on press freedom gains supporters, The Guardian, 5 June 2020: ‘I’m getting shot’: attacks on journalists surge in US protests, The Guardian, 8 June 2020: ‘Denigrated and discredited’: how American journalists became targets during protests.

EU and USA
Of course, given the strong links between the EU and the US, it is clear that the US will in principle continue to be a strategic partner. In any case, transatlantic relations, especially below the level of government, will scarcely be irritated beyond a certain period of time (shared ancestry, values, art, culture, society, democracy, freedom, economy, trade etc. – for fans of the United States and transatlantics alike or in personal union, it is of course always painful to watch US Presidents like George W. Bush or Donald Trump damaging the integrity and international appeal of the United States on a daily basis, only to serve single interests. In America, such behavior (individual interests before national interests) is named “un-American”, unless, of course, it comes from the far right, for whom, as is well known, laws, contracts and agreements do not apply (they at least claim for themselves) until proven otherwise. After all, it is at the latest certain that after two terms in office, the spook will be over for a while and the United States and the rest of the world can gain time to recover from the devastations caused. But when putting the incompetent, corrupt, criminal, racist, small minded, unsuccessful Republican Trump administration and politics in general aside, then you have a country with an incredible cultural diversity (in the New York borough of Queens there are people with over 180 nationalities alone who, through their diversity, contribute to what characterizes and is New York, namely the capital of the world ), with sometimes dramatically beautiful landscapes and cities that have been among the super coolest places on the planet for years, which generate by far the most creative ideas, innovations and trends worldwide and are mostly inhabited by liberal, cosmopolitan, friendly people. You have to make a lot of effort not to be enthusiastic about it and not to be magically attracted to it. However, when looking at the political playground, it is much easier to identify weaknesses and problems. Europe owes a lot to the United States, especially after the two world wars. Conversely, America would not exist today without European settlers. So we are connected and interwoven in many ways and at different levels. Trump cannot change that permanently, even if he tries hard, by ensuring from the very beginning of his term in office that there was no international trust in him and his administration at any time and that this also damaged basic trust in the United States, especially since the Trump government behave like that of any other rogue state. Only the future will show how sustainable the damage caused will be for international relations. There were always great upsets between the two sides, which in the end could all be overcome. This will also be the case after the total failure in the White House has left office. However, there will probably not a “back to normal”, as was the case before Trump took office, but there will be closer cooperations again. Change can start quickly (President Tweety voted out of office in November 2020) or take four more long years to come, but it will come. The Trumps of the world come and go. Sometimes they leave chaos and burned bridges, but ultimately there is nothing that cannot be repaired. In this sense: The United States: Bon appétit! and The United States: Bon voyage! (Die Zeit, 20 February 2017: Transatlantic relations: Yankee Goes Home, Atlantic Council, 15 March 2018: A Storm is Brewing in Transatlantic Relations, Carnegie Europe, 5 July 2019: Can Ursula Von Der Leyen Save the Transatlantic Relationship?). Although tourism numbers and the sum of foreign direct investment are declining, these indicators will recover in the post-Trump period, although it shouldn’t be assumed that a successor will make a 180° political turn (Pax Americana), especially as some of #45’s crude theses and theories are well received by the Democrats (New York Magazine, 6 August 2018: In 2008, America Stopped Believing in the American Dream), but it can probably be assumed that the inability of #45 will not be exceeded (if things continue as they have been under #45, he will actually not only easily replace Richard Nixon but even Andrew Johnson as the most incapable US president of all times). But it is clear that the EU has to respond to the measures from Washington in a very clever way, as countermeasures will hit especially the US states, which are of great importance to the Republicans. In November 2018, the primaries will take place (Midterm Elections and The New York Times, 24 October 2018: Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and CNN Offices Are Sent Pipe Bombs, so in general against the Democrats, and what does the President do? Of course, the Hater and Mobber in Chief is blaming others: The Guardian, 25 October 2018: Donald Trump attacks media ‘hostility’ after attempted pipe bombings, The New York Times, 25 October 2018: Pipe Bombs Sent to Biden and Robert De Niro, Latest in Wave of Explosives Sent to Trump Critics, The New York Times, 26 October 2018: Pipe Bomb Suspect Arrested in Florida; Criminal History Includes Bombing Threat, The Guardian, 26 October 2018: What the targeting of Trump critics reveals about America’s rotting core, The Guardian, 26 October 2018: Seth Meyers: ‘If you’re asking if Trump’s lying or stupid the answer is all of the above’ and The Guardian, 27 Ocotober 2018: Florida man charged with sending 13 pipe bombs to Trump critics). The transatlantic dispute doesn’t only delight Moscow, but also the anti-Americanists from the West, who regard the close transatlantic ties as a thorn in their side and therefore have always been looking to the east without being able to find alternative solutions there. People who think of Moscow or Beijing here, obviously didn’t deal enough with the basic data and the opposing social/society models (the democracy in the EU stands in clear and obvious opposition to the so-called “controlled democracy” in Russia under President Vladimir Putin, which in fact corresponds to an autocracy (in addition, the largest country in the world is an economic dwarf. The resulting, factually correct, but diplomatically unfortunate choice of words by US President Barack Obama, “Russia is a regional power”, has obviously violated the ego of the Russian tsar so much that he then decided that it has to be compensated by military (one of the very few strengths of Russia) expeditions in Ukraine and Western Asia), and in the People’s Republic of China under President Xi Jinping, according to its constitution “under the democratic dictatorship of the people”, but is governed since 1949 authoritarian by the Chinese Communist Party) – The New York Times, 8 August 2018:Trump’s Tariffs Are Changing Trade With China. Here Are 2 Emerging Endgames..

Results of Trump’s first 500 days in office

Became US President by Russian manipulation of the US election, while missing the popular vote clearly? ✅ (on July 16, 2018, #45 will meet his main election aide, Russian President Vladimir Putin, in Helsinki. How will the meeting be titled by the media? “The Summit of Lies” or “The Meeting of the Top Liars”? In view of the results of the talks, one may be curious how many buildings in Moscow and St. Petersburg will be named “Trump” in the future and will be financed by dubious Russian sources: The Irish News, 20 January 2017: What might happen in Donald Trump’s first 1,000 days as president?, The Guardian, 16 July 2018: Trump ‘treasonous’ after siding with Putin on election meddling, The New York Times, 16 July 2018: Trump, at Putin’s Side, Questions U.S. Intelligence on 2016 Election, CNN, 16 July 2018: LIVE UPDATES: Trump and Putin meet in Helsinki, The New York Times, 17 July 2018: Democrats Demand Action to Punish Trump, but G.O.P. Is Cautious, The Guardian, 17 July 2018: Republicans have decided to follow Trump off a cliff of treachery, The Washington Post, 17 July 2018: How Trump retreats: Grudging apologies, plus a wink and a nod to the original insult, The New York Times, 17 July 2018: A Besieged Trump Says He Misspoke on Russian Election Meddling, The Guardian, 18 July 2018: Summit critics have Trump derangement syndrome – says Trump, USA Today, 18 July 2018: No love from Russia: Vladimir Putin’s nation dumped US Treasurys ahead of Trump summit, The Guardian, 20 July 2018: ‘Putin for dinner, Weinstein for movie night’: late-night hosts on Trump-Russia (watch the videos), The Washington Post, 12 August 2018: This is not a hoax, and things are not okay, Special prosecutor Robert Mueller, USA Today, 8 December 2018: James Comey: ‘We’re talking again about Hillary Clinton’s emails, for Heaven’s sake’, The Washington Post, 22 March 2019: Mueller report sent to attorney general, signaling his Russia investigation has ended, The Guardian, 23 March 2019: Mueller report: special counsel delivers findings of Trump-Russia inquiry, The New York Times, 23 March 2019: As Mueller Report Lands, Prosecutorial Focus Moves to New York, The Guardian, 24 March 2019: Mueller did not find Trump campaign conspired with Russia, attorney general says, The Guardian, 24 March 2019: No collusion, plenty of corruption: Trump is not in the clear, The New York Times, 24 March 2019: Mueller Finds No Trump-Russia Conspiracy but Stops Short of Exonerating President on Obstruction, The New York Times, 24 March 2019: No Impeachment in View, but Democrats Push On With Investigations of Trump, Jerusalem Post, 24 March 2019: Mueller report does not have proof of Trump crimes, The New York Times, 25 March 2019: Trump’s Shamelessness Was Outside Mueller’s Jurisdiction, The Guardian, 25 March 2019: Democrats refuse to retreat on Trump legal issues despite Mueller disappointment, The Guardian, 26 March 2019: Enough Russia: after Mueller, it’s time for Democrats to focus on America, The New York Times, 26 March 2019: Trump’s Kakistocracy Is Also a Hackistocracy, The Guardian, 26 March 2019: Don’t say Trump is exonerated. It’s too soon for that, CNN, 26 March 2019: Trump moves to weaponize Mueller findings, The Washington Post, 28 March 2019: Trump may not be a Russian agent. He’s just a Russian stooge., The Guardian, 29 March 2019: Trump’s revenge? Why an eight-year media grudge may be about to get settled, The Washington Post, 29 March 2019: Trump’s businesses are full of dirty Russian money. The scandal is that it’s legal., The Washington Post, 29 March 2019: How the Mueller report can still threaten Trump’s legitimacy, The Guardian, 31 March 2019: Enough collusion talk. It’s time to focus on Trump’s corruption, The Washington Post, 1 April 2019: Most Republicans don’t accept a basic Mueller finding: That Russia tried to interfere in the 2016 campaign, The New York Times, 3 April 2019: Some on Mueller’s Team Say Report Was More Damaging Than Barr Revealed, The Washington Post, 3 April 2019: Limited information Barr has shared about Russia investigation frustrated some on Mueller’s team, CNN, 4 April 2019: New York Times: Some Mueller investigators say their report is worse for Trump than Barr says, The Washington Post, 7 April 2019: We already knew Barr’s summary was too easy on Trump. Public records prove it., The Guardian, 18 April 2019: The Guardian view on the Mueller report: now we see it. What next?, The New York Times, 19 April 2019: The Mueller Report and the Danger Facing American Democracy, The New York Times, 19 April 2019: Mueller Hints at a National-Security Nightmare, The New York Times, 19 April 2019: In a Functional Country, We Would Be on the Road to Impeachment, The Washington Post, 19. April 2019: The Mueller report isn’t just a legal document. It’s also the best book on the Trump White House so far., The New York Times, 30 April 2019: Mueller Objected to Barr’s Description of Russia Investigation’s Findings on Trump, CNN, 1 May 2019: Mueller expressed misgivings to Barr about 4-page letter, Washington Post, 6 May 2019: Trump would have been charged with obstruction were he not president, hundreds of former federal prosecutors assert, Timeline of Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections, The New York Times, 19 May 2019: Deutsche Bank Staff Saw Suspicious Activity in Trump and Kushner Accounts, Washington Post, 20 May 2019: Republicans who don’t protect Trump’s corruption will pay a very steep price, The Washington Post, 22 May 2019: Putin out-prepared Trump in key meeting, Rex Tillerson told House panel, The New York Times, 29 June 2019: Mueller, in First Comments on Russia Inquiry, Declines to Clear Trump, CNN, 26 June 2019: Democrats get their man — Mueller — for blockbuster hearings, The New York Times, 26 June 2019: Trump Lashes Out After Mueller Agrees to Testify to Congress, The Guardian, 21 July 2019: Nadler: Mueller has evidence of Trump high crimes and misdemeanours, CNN, 21 July 2019: ‘Very substantial evidence’ Trump is ‘guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors,’ House Judiciary Chair says, The Guardian, 22 July 2019: Robert Mueller: ‘damning and explosive’ testimony expected before Congress, CNN, 22 July 2019: Mueller’s big moment is make or break for Democrats, CNN, 22 July 2019: DOJ tells Robert Mueller ‘any testimony must remain in the boundaries of your public report’, CNN, 23 July 2019: Mueller testimony: 10 things to watch at Wednesday hearings, The Guardian, 23 July 2019: Mueller urged to talk freely and resist Trump officials’ bid to limit testimony, CNN, 23 July 2019: DOJ to Mueller: Don’t make news, CNN, 24 July 2019: Mueller makes last-minute ask to swear in deputy for hearing, CNN, 24 July 2019: Robert Mueller faces Congress for pair of blockbuster public hearings, CNN, 24 July 2019: Mueller: Trump can be prosecuted after he leaves office, Saudi Gazette, 24 July 2019: In dramatic testimony, Mueller says he did not exonerate Trump, BBC, 24 July 2019: Trump-Russia: Are we learning anything new from Mueller?, CNN, 24 July 2019: Mueller fires back at Republican attacks, The Guardian, 24 July 2019: Trump in the White House is a national security nightmare – and Mueller knows it, Al Jazeera, 24 July 2019: What to expect from Prime Minister Boris Johnson?, Haaretz, 24 July 2019: Mueller Hearing Proves Trump a Crook for Some Martyr for Others, The Guardian, 24 July 2019: Trump speaks before presidential seal doctored with symbols of Russia and golf, The New York Times, 25 July 2019: Lack of Electricity in Mueller Testimony Short-Circuits Impeachment, The Washington Post, 25 July 2019: Analysis: What Russian interference? While grilling Mueller, Republicans downplay it., The New York Times, 25 July 2019: What the Mueller Hearings Did Not Tell Us, CNN, 25 July 2019: Trump appears in front of doctored seal with Russian and golf imagery, TPUSA aide fired, The Washington Post, 25 July 2019: Democrats now have one option to end Trump’s presidency: The 2020 election, Saudi Gazette, 25 July 2019: Golfing Russian eagle on presidential seal at Trump rally raises eyebrows, Politico.com, 25 July 2019: Actually, Robert Mueller Was Awesome, BBC, 26 July 2019: Trump’s doctored presidential seal leads to firing, The Washington Post, 13 August 2019: The king of insults can’t handle the truth about himself, Politico.com, 8 October 2019: Unpaid bills pile up in Trump rallies’ wake (according to the Democracy Index conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit, only 20 countries of the world actually are “full democracies”. Sadly, the USA aren’t among them. Of course, the wanna-be Mussolini in the White House does not like that), The Guardian, 25 October 2019: Judge grants Democrats access to unredacted Mueller report – live, Al Jazeera, 25 October 2019: Judge rules DOJ must give House Mueller grand jury evidence, The Guardian, 2 November 2019: Department of Justice releases Mueller documents to BuzzFeed News, CNN, 3 November 2019: Mueller interview notes obtained by CNN show Trump’s push for stolen emails, The Guardian, 3 November 2019: Mueller documents show Manafort pushed Ukraine conspiracy theory, Politico.com, 3 November 2019: POLITICO Playbook: Robert Mueller’s long tail, CNN, 9 December 2019: Inspector general report on Russia investigation is out, NPR, 9 December 2019: DOJ Watchdog On Russia Probe: No Evidence Of Bias, But Problems With Surveillance, The New York Times, 9 December 2019: Inspector General Report on F.B.I. Russia Inquiry Finds Serious Errors But Debunks Anti-Trump Plot, The Washington Post, 9 December 2019: FBI was justified in opening Trump campaign probe, but case plagued by ‘serious failures,’ inspector general finds, Politico, 10 December 2019: Why Democrats sidelined Mueller in impeachment articles, The Washington Post, 11 December 2019: Inspector general testifies about FBI’s investigation of Trump campaign, The New York Times, 11 December 2019: Horowitz Hearing Live Updates: Senate Examines Origins of the F.B.I.’s Russia Inquiry, CNN, 11 December 2019: Inspector general testifies about Russia report, CNN, 19 August 2020: The Senate just dropped a massive Russia bombshell (and most people missed it), The Guardian, 12 September 2020: Trump-Russia investigation President attacks Robert Mueller’s ‘hit squad’ in row over wiped phones).

Mueller Report: Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election

Muelller-Report-Redacted-Vol-I-Released-04.18.2019-Word-Searchable.-Reduced-Size

Muelller-Report-Redacted-Vol-II-Released-04.18.2019-Word-Searchable.-Reduced-Size

Obvious involvement in money laundering in favor of Russian and Kazakh organized crime? ✅ (The Washington Post, 10 August 2018: Trump’s résumé is rife with mob connections, The Guardian, 15 June 2019: Welcome to Trump’s Corrupt State – the Star Wars cantina of world politics, Times of Israel, 15 June 2019: Ivanka Trump, Kushner raked in as much as $135 million last year)

Just as little knowledge of domestic, foreign, trade and economic policy, as of national and international laws and regularities or the duties of a US President and proud of it? ✅

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) tipped? ⛔

Massively benefiting from President Barack Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and then claiming it was his merit? ✅

“We build a wall and Mexico will pay for it!” ⛔ Massive laughter from Mexico? ✅

Jobs created for his constituents (white middle class, workers and (long-term) unemployed)? ⛔

Better domestic arms control to make future massacres, among others at schools, at least more difficult? ⛔ Neither were the gun laws tightened nor the tax laws changed. As before, weapons can be purchased in about half of the states by presentation a driving license only. Under each future massacre will be written in golden letters “brought to you by Donald J. Trump” (The Guardian, 27 April 2019: Trump withdraws from UN arms treaty as NRA crowd cheers in delight).

Massive tax relief for companies and top earners at the expense of government revenues, public debt and thus of future generations? ✅ (The New York Times, 30 March 2019: The Incredible Shrinking Trump Boom, The New York Times, 24 October 2019: The Day the Trump Boom Died, Reuters, 25 October 2019: U.S. government’s annual budget deficit largest since 2012, CNN, 25 October 2019: US budget deficit finishes just short of $1 trillion for fiscal 2019)

Dropped out of the Paris Climate Accord? ✅ Transformation of the Environmental Protection Agency from an environment and human protection authority to an environmental and human destruction agency at the initiative of individual interests (Oil/gas, coal and nuclear lobby and climate change deniers, which includes Trump himself) at the expense of the public? ✅

Dropped out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)? ✅

Dropped out of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)? ✅

Threatened to terminate NAFTA, although US companies and consumers in particular benefit greatly? ✅ In fact, only cosmetic corrections were made, which are mainly expressed in the now changed name (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)) – Arab News, 20 July 2019: Birth pains of a new trade deal for North and South America.

Threatened to leave NATO, even though the United States have been gaining considerable influence over it and its members for decades? ✅

Threatened to leave the WTO, because the US doesn’t have to abide international rules, agreements and laws? ✅

Retreat from United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)? ✅

Retreat from United Nations Human Rights Council? ✅

Despite numerous armed rampages with large numbers of deaths and injured, especially in schools, no tightening of weapons laws. Instead, call for arming teachers and a big appearance at an event of the National Rifle Association to cheer up the Second Amendment, while the carrying of weapons at this event was strictly forbidden, because they, of course, already know the many crazies who actually own weapons. ✅

Lying about the volume of transatlantic trade (goods, products, services, finance and corporate profits) to make the US look like a trade victim, even though, in fact, the US has been created a trade surplus against the EU for decades? ✅

Iran deal at the urging of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quit and thus seriously harmed the US as a credible, trustworthy, and reliable contracting party? ✅ A viable, useful or feasible (contract) alternative delivered? ⛔ (Bloomberg, 3 April 2019: First Images of Saudi Nuclear Reactor Show Plant Nearing Finish (the country that is, inter alia, behind 9/11 and the financing of ISIL, while Iran is referred to as a “terrorist state”))

Unilateral and internationally unrecognized recognition of West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel at the urging of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu? ✅ (The New Yorker, June 2018: Donald Trump’s New World Order)

The US as a mediator in the Middle East conflict made completely unreliable? ✅

Cocky announcements of an alleged Israeli-Palestinian peace plan and delivered nothing (NBC News, 24 June 2018:Kushner says will unveil Trump’s ‘deal of the century’ for Mideast peace soon, Foreign Policy, 25 June 2018: Shadow Government: Kushner’s Peace Plan Is a Disaster Waiting to Happen, Foreign Policy, 3 August 2018: Trump and Allies Seek End to Refugee Status for Millions of Palestinians, Haaretz, 20 November 2018: U.S. Evangelicals Put Their Faith in Netanyahu as Trump Readies Mideast Peace Plan, The Guardian, 1 January 2019: Why Trump’s Middle East peace plan is just a sideshow, Times of Israel, 5 February 2019: As US readies peace plan, official says no need to be seen as ‘honest broker’, Jerusalem Post, 23 March 2019: Abbas: I agreed to US-led NATO force in ‘Palestine’, The Atlantic, 19 April 2019: The French Ambassador Is Retiring Today. Here’s What He Really Thinks About Washington. and Times of Israel, 20 April 2019: French envoy to US: Trump plan ‘very close to what Israel wants, 99% doomed’)? ✅

Trade dispute, including the option of a trade war with the closest transatlantic allies and trading partners caused by illegally imposed tariffs (World Trade Organization)? ✅

After months of exchanging foolishnesses with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un and the cocky announcements of “great and fantastic negotiations in Singapore”, finally returning with little more than a few travel photos, while the only one believing in “successful negotiations” and “a great relation between the two countries” is the tear-stained Dennis Rodman? ✅ (The Guardian, 12 June 2018: The Singapore summit is a global exercise in Donald Trump damage limitation, The New York Times, 12 June 2018: Trump Concession Over Military Drills Blindsides Many South Koreans, The New York Times, 12 Jnue 2018: Trump Was Outfoxed in Singapore, BBC, 12 June 2018: Trump Kim summit: US president hails deal after historic talks, The Washington Post, 12 June 2018: Trump-Kim summit: Trump says after historic meeting, ‘We have developed a very special bond’, Haaretz, 13 June 2018: Trump-Kim Summit: Iran’s Khamenei Can’t Smile Just Yet The Guardian, 4 August 2018: North Korea’s nuclear programme has not been halted, says UN, The New York Times, 24 August 2018: Trump Asks Pompeo to Cancel North Korea Trip, Pointing to Stalled Diplomacy, The Washington Post, 27 August 2018: There may be a way to negotiate with North Korea. This isn’t it., Guardian, 28 August 2018: North Korea threat remains despite Trump summit, says Japan and The Washington Post, 20 December 2018: North Korea rejects denuclearization unless U.S. ‘nuclear threat’ is eliminated. And the second round of the show begins: USA Today, 24 february 2019: North Korea won’t give up nuclear weapons, former diplomat says, CNN, 26 February 2019: Trump Kim summit: What does a win for North Korea look like in Hanoi?, The Washington Post, 28 February 2019: Trump and Kim abruptly cut short summit after failing to reach nuclear deal, The Guardian, 28 February 2019: Vietnam summit: US president blames disagreement over sanctions for no deal, The New York Times, 28 Feburary 2019: Trump’s Talks With Kim Jong-un Collapse After North Korea Demands End to Sanctions, The Guardian, 28 February 2019: The art of no deal: how Trump and Kim misread each other, The Washington Post, 28 February 2019: Trump and Kim abruptly cut short summit after failing to reach nuclear deal, The New York Times, 28 February 2019: Trump-Kim Summit’s Collapse Exposes the Risks of One-to-One Diplomacy, The Washington Post, 28 February 2019: ‘Sometimes you have to walk’: Trump leaves summit empty-handed at tough point in presidency, The Guardian, 28 February 2019: The Guardian view on the US and North Korea: Trump’s vanity diplomacy falls flat, The Guardian, 6 March 2019: North Korea rebuilds part of launch site it promised the US it would dismantle, BBC, 25 April 2019: North Korea summit: Putin says Kim ‘needs guarantees’ (a request by the Russian President, who once gave Ukraine security guarantees in exchange for their disarmament and after they had done so, he ordered to attack Ukraine militarily (Annexation of Crimea and warfare in eastern Ukraine by Russia). This has been observed closely by North Korea, and that Donald Trump’s America can not be trusted (Iran deal, etc.), too. There is no rational reason for North Korea to actually want to or be able to disarm itself), DW, 25 April 2019: Putin: Kim needs ‘security guarantees’ on nuclear deal, Times of Israel, 26 April 2019: Ending Russia trip, North Korean leader says US acting in ‘bad faith’, The Guardian, 30 June 2019: Donald Trump invites Kim Jong-un to US after entering North Korea, BBC, 30 June 2019: US-North Korea: Trump and Kim agree to restart talks in historic meeting, The Guardian, 30 June 2019: Ivanka Trump says stepping into North Korea was ‘surreal’ (“It may be shocking to some, but being someone’s daughter actually isn’t a career qualification.”), The Washington Post, 30 June 2019: Beyond ‘Freedom’s Frontier,’ Trump scores his biggest live show yet in North Korea, CNN, 30 June 2019: DMZ: Donald Trump steps into North Korea with Kim Jong Un, The New York Times, 30 June 2019: Trump Steps Into North Korea and Agrees With Kim Jong-un to Resume Talks (of course that does not change the situation, but at least Kim Jong Un was able to score some points again), CNN, 30 June 2019: Trump takes 20 steps into North Korea, making history as first sitting US leader to enter hermit nation, Haaretz, 30 June 2019: Mr. Trump’s Wild Ride With Kim Jong Un Evokes Derision, Anxiety – and Prayers for Success, The Guardian, 30 June 2019: The Guardian view on Trump and Kim: an unsatisfactory sequel, CNN, 2 October 2019: North Korea launches ballistic missile a day after agreeing to US talks, BBC, 2 October 2019: North Korea may have fired missile from submarine, NPR, 2 October 2019: North Korea May Have Taken Step Toward Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile, BBC, 5 October 2019: North Korea and US begin fresh talks on nukes and sanctions, Reuters, 5 October 2019: North Korea breaks off nuclear talks with U.S. in Sweden, Jerusalem Post, 7 October 2019: North Korea doubts U.S. will have alternative plans within two weeks, The Guardian, 7 December 2019: North Korea says denuclearization off the table in US talks, CNN, 8 December 2019: Trump warns Kim could lose ‘special relationship’ after North Korea claims ‘important’ test at missile site, The Guardian, 8 December 2019: The Guardian view on North Korea: a brewing nuclear crisis, CNN, 9 December 2019: North Korea calls Trump a ‘heedless and erratic old man’, The Guardian, 14 December 2019: North Korea claims successful ‘crucial test’ at long-range rocket site, Al Jazeera, 14 December 2019: North Korea claims another ‘crucial test’ at its rocket facility, CNN, 15 December 2019: What could North Korea’s ‘Christmas gift’ to the US be?, Gulf Times, 17.12.2019: North Korea comments ‘hostile and unnecessary’: US envoy, Gulf Times, 20 December 2019: US envoy meets second senior China diplomat as N.Korea tensions rise, Al Arabiya, 20 December 2019: Pentagon chief Esper hopeful for restarting diplomacy with North Korea, The New York Times, 21 December 2019: U.S. Braces for Major North Korean Weapons Test as Trump’s Diplomacy Fizzles, Politico.com, 21 December 2019: Trump careens toward a Christmas crisis with North Korea, CNN, 23 December 2019: North Korea’s ‘Christmas gift’ could be a new anti-US hard-line policy, source says, Gulf Times, 23 December 2019: Stalled talks with US not good for North Korea, South Korea tells China, Al Jazeera, 24 December 2019: S Korea, Japan, China leaders to promote N Korea-US dialogue, The Guardian, 24 December 2019: New satellite images show expansion of North Korea long-range missile plant, The Guardian, 30 December 2019: North Korea’s Kim Jong-un calls for ‘offensive’ measures as nuclear deadline looms, Al Jazeera, 31 December 2019: North Korea’s Kim calls for ‘military countermeasures’, Politico.com, 31 December 2019: North Korea leader promises look at new weapon soon, BBC, 1 January 2020: North Korea threatens to resume nuclear and ICBM testing, The National, 1 January 2020: North Korea’s Kim Jong-un says he will soon unveil a new weapon, The New York Times, 1 January 2020: North Korea Is Not Done Trolling Trump, Arab News, 14 January 2020: North Korea remains open to dialogue with US — S.Korea’s Moon, The New York Times, 9 February 2020: North Korea’s Internet Use Surges, Thwarting Sanctions and Fueling Theft, CNN, 2 March 2020: North Korea fires two unidentified projectiles, South Korea says, Foreign Policy, 20 April 2020: North Korea Continues to Flout Trump, Advance Nuclear Ambitions (the self-proclaimed “great dealmaker” Donnie did a great job again .. oh, wait ..), Politico.com, 4 July 2020: North Korea says it has no plans for talks with U.S., Reuters, 4 July 2020: North Korea says no need to sit down with U.S. for talks, Reuters, 4 August 2020: North Korea has ‘probably’ developed nuclear devices to fit ballistic missiles, U.N. report says (now Iran is missing, so that Trump will become the greatest loser of all time in the American history books), The Guardian, 4 August 2020: North Korea has ‘probably’ developed nuclear devices to fit ballistic missiles – UN, CNN, 4 August 2020: North Korea’s work on nuclear weapons includes ‘miniaturized’ devices, UN report says, BBC, 10 October 2020: North Korea holds military parade with missiles, CNN, 10 October 2020: North Korea unveils massive new ballistic missile in military parade, NPR, 10 October 2020: Kim Jong Un Puts New Missiles On Display At Military Parade in North Korea, The New York Times, 10 October 2020: North Korea Unveils New ICBM During Military Parade, Washington Post, 10 October 2020: North Korea parades huge, new intercontinental ballistic missile, The Hill, 18 December 2020: For Biden, the answer to North Korea is now impossible to ignore, CNN, 11 January 2022: US grounded planes after NORAD alerted a North Korean missile launch, NPR, 15 January 2022: North Korea is testing hypersonic weapons. Should the West be worried?, The Guardian, 20 January 2022: Analysis: No ‘fire and fury’ yet, but a game of nuclear brinkmanship with North Korea looms, The Times, 20 January 2022: North Korea ponders return to nuclear and long-range missile tests, The Times, 26 January 2022: Little Rocket Man is back with bigger, badder weapons, DW, 29 January 2022: North Korea fires another projectile into sea, The National, 30 January 2022: North Korea tests powerful ballistic missile, wired, 2 February 2022: North Korea Hacked Him. So He Took Down Its Internet (well, computer hacking works both ways :-D ), The Times, 2 February 2022: Lone US hacker P4x paralyses North Korea’s internet, The Hill, 5 February 2022: UN finds North Korea increased missile capabilities: report, BC, 6 February 2022: North Korea: Missile programme funded through stolen crypto, UN report says, The Guardian, 7 February 2022: US politics: Trump papers including Kim ‘love letters’ retrieved from Mar-a-Lago, The Guardian, 13 February 2022: North Korea: US and allies condemn Pyongyang over missile test ‘provocations’, CNN, 19 February 2022: Why some North Korean defectors return to one of the world’s most repressive regimes, The National, 27 February 2022: North Korea resumes missile tests amid global focus on Ukraine, Los Angeles Times, 5 March 2022: North Korea fires ballistic missile in extension of testing, DW, 5 March 2022: North Korea fires projectile toward sea, South Korean military says, DW, 8 March 2022: North Korea: US and allies at UN condemn missile launches, The Times, 8 March 2022: North Korea resumes work at nuclear test site, DW, 11 March 2022: North Korea seeks to expand launch pad amid ICBM concerns, The New York Times, 14 March 2022: Kim Jong-un Is Just Getting Started, The Times, 24 March 2022: Kim Jong-un’s new missile ‘puts US mainland in reach’, The Times, 24 March 2022: North Korea’s new nuclear missile tests show Kim is ready to talk, CNN, 25 March 2022: What we know about North Korea’s new ICBM, The Hill, 25 March 2022: North Korea’s latest missile tests prompts calls for new UN sanctions, DW, 25 March 2022: What do we know about North Korea’s ‘monster missile’?, The Guardian, 25 March 2022: Kim Jong-un gets Top Gun treatment in North Korea’s missile coverage, DW, 26 March 2022: US calls for stiffer UN sanctions against North Korea, The Times, 30 March 2022: Kim Jong-un faked missile test, South Korea claims, The Times, 15 April 2022: North Korean hackers behind $620m Axie Infinity cryptocurrency heist, says FBI, The Times, 17 April 2022: New Kim missile ‘poses nuclear threat to Seoul’, BBC, 17 April 2022: North Korea tests new weapon ‘to improve tactical nukes’, DW, 19 April 2022: Why are tensions rising on the Korean Peninsula?, DW, 2 May 2022: Could North Korea ‘pre-emptively’ use nuclear weapons?, DW, 4 May 2022: North Korea fires ballistic missile amid rising concerns over tests, CNN, 7 May 2022: North Korea fires ballistic missile into Sea of Japan, The National, 20 May 2022: Biden lauds US and South Korea alliance as ‘linchpin of peace’, CNN, 20 May 2022: Biden arrives in South Korea with worries growing over possible North Korean missile test, The National, 21 May 2022: US and South Korea consider expanded military drills to deter North Korea, The Hill, 21 May 2022: Biden says US has offered vaccines to North Korea but got no response, The Guardian, 21 May 2022: Joe Biden: US and South Korea presidents mull expanding joint military exercises, DW, 21 May 2022: US, South Korea seek to bolster military ties amid regional tensions, CNN, 22 May 2022: Biden offers message for Kim Jong Un as he wraps first leg of his Asia trip, CNN, 24 May 2022: North Korea launches ballistic missile, South Korea says, Al Arabiya, 25 May 2022: North Korea fires three missiles after Biden summits with Asia allies, CNN, 27 May 2022: US intelligence assessing whether North Korea tested missile with properties not seen before, CNN, 6 June 2022: South Korea, US launch eight missiles in response to North Korea, CNN, 7 June 2022: South Korean and US fighter jets in show of force to Kim Jong Un amid fears over North Korean nuclear test, DW, 11 June 2022: North Korea appoints first female foreign minister, CNN, 12 June 2022: Seoul to ‘dramatically’ boost defense amid fears over North Korea’s nuclear plans, CNN, 13 June 2022: World’s nuclear arsenals on the rise as concerns grow over China and North Korea, The National, 3 July 2022: North Korea warns of nuclear war risk as Japan, US and South Korea increase military ties, DW, 3 July 2022: North Korea says US seeks ‘military supremacy’ in Asia, DW, 10 July 2022: North Korea fires suspected rocket launchers, Seoul says, The National, 28 July 2022: Kim Jong-un vows North Korea is ready to use nuclear weapons, DW, 5 August 2022: UN: North Korea paving the way for more nuclear tests, DW, 15 August 2022: South Korea offers North aid in exchange for denuclearization, DW, 17 August 2022: South Korea wants to talk as North Korea test fires cruise missiles, BBC, 19 August 2022: ‘Absurd’: N Korea slams South’s offer of aid for denuclearisation, CNN, 19 August 2022: North Korea rejects South’s aid offer, calls President Yoon ‘really simple’, DW, 19 August 2022: North Korea slams South’s aid-for-disarmament offer, DW, 22 August 2022: Why is North Korea aiming to strengthen ties with Russia?). If you look at the overall situation with humor, then a quote from the US sitcom Last Man Standing come to mind: “Why are there so many designer diseases like ADHD and allergies in the US? In the days back, we used to have measles and mumps and we just ignored everything else. Today, the North Koreans don’t even need a nuclear bomb because they could kill half of the US population with a single glass of peanut butter!”

A great liar and hot-air merchant (The Washington Post, 1 August 2016: The facts behind Donald Trump’s many falsehoods, The Washington Post, 1 May 2018: President Trump has made 3,001 false or misleading claims so far, The Washington Post, 1 August 2018: Fact Checker: President Trump has made 4,229 false or misleading claims in 558 days, DW, 4 September 2018: Bob Woodward’s book describes a dysfunctional Trump White House, The New York Times, 5 September 2018: I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration, The Washington Post, 16 November 2018: It’s easy to fact check Trump’s lies. He tells the same ones all the time., The Washington Post, 16 November 2018: Trump is already hurting democracy. Now the GOP is making it worse., The Washington Post, 21 December 2018: President Trump has made 7,546 false or misleading claims over 700 days, The Washington Post, 29 April 2019: President Trump has made more than 10,000 false or misleading claims, CNN, 11 June 2019: Fact check: Here’s what Trump got wrong in CNBC interview, The Washington Post, 11 June 2019: Trump lies all the time. And yet the toadies keep covering for him., The Washington Post, 11 June 2019: The House begins to tell the story of Trump’s criminality, CNN, 29 August 2019: The Trump team is now lying about lying, CNN, 31 August 2019: Six weeks, 328 false claims. Breaking down Trump’s dishonesty, The Washington Post, 16 December 2019: President Trump has made 15,413 false or misleading claims over 1,055 days)? ✅

Chances to receive a Nobel Peace Prize? 😁

We would like to apologize to you: In the first analysis of 9 November 2016 (United States presidential election of 2016), we assumed much too positive parameters, based on the assumption that the West, as we all knew it to date, will continue to exist after the election of #45. In retrospect, this assessment was too optimistic. The United States of America is obviously no longer a reliable partner on the government level. That was an option, but we thought that it was largely absurd. We’re taught otherwise (The New York Times, 1 October 2018: 11 Takeaways From The Times’s Investigation Into Trump’s Wealth, The New York Times, 1 October 2018: 4 Ways Fred Trump Made Donald Trump and His Siblings Rich, The New York Times, 2 October 2018: Trump Took Part in Suspect Schemes to Avoid Tax Bills, The New York Times, 4 October 2018: City Officials Join Effort To Examine Trump Taxes, The New York Times, 15 October 2018: A Scheme Aided the Trumps. Tenants Are Paying., The New York Times, 14 January 2019: Donald Trump and His Team of Morons, Trumpism).

Knowledge Gains
But part of the truth is that the EU and its member states poured water on # 45 mills. On the one hand, it provides little or no communication on services and accomplishments, while on the other hand, decades of military intrusion (The Washington Post, 28 June 2017: NATO allies boost defense spending in the wake of Trump criticism, Deutsche Welle, 13 February 2018: EU’s new defense union must not undermine NATO, warns Stoltenberg, Deutsche Welle, 08 July 2018: NATO chief: Germany must increase defense spending, The New York Times, 09 July 2018: Trump Poised to Enter NATO Meeting as Wild Card Among Allies, BBC, 09 July 2018: Trump-Nato summit: EU’s Tusk warns president to appreciate allies, The Guardian, 10 July 2018: Europeans brace for worst from Trump at stormy Nato summit, Bloomberg, 10 July 2018: Trump Is Itching for a Fight at NATO, The New York Times, 11 July 2018: NATO Summit Live Updates: Trump Pushes Allies to Increase Spending, CNN, 11 July 2018: NATO summit: Trump accuses Germany of being a ‘captive of Russia’, The Guardian, 11 July 2018: Angela Merkel hits back at Donald Trump at Nato summit, The New York Times, 11 July 2018: Trump vs. Merkel: Blistering Salvo Meets Gentle Rejoinder, The New York Times, 11 July 2018: Sorry, NATO. Trump Doesn’t Believe in Allies., The New York Times, 11 July 2018: What America Gets Out of NATO, The Washington Post, 11 July 2018: ‘Rubbing salt in the wounds’: Trump won’t take yes for an answer at NATO, The Washington Post, 11 July 2018: Trump berates NATO allies and then asks them to double their defense spending goals, The Guardian, 12 July 2018: Trump claims victory at Nato summit after fresh row over defence spending, The Washington Post, 12 July 2018: Trump’s latest lie at NATO blows up his idea of ‘winning’ and The New York Times, 12 July 2018: Live Updates: After Contentious NATO Summit, Trump Goes to U.K.) in the face of changing threats and the withdrawal of the US from relevant areas (the Middle East (except for Israel where the USA has taken over the role of a protective and guarantor power and maintain an air force base in the country) and North Africa) are becoming more and more an existential problem (the key question, which critics of the solution in particular have to face more and more often, is “What happens if we do not deploy the army, what are the risks and challenges and how could they be dealt with alternatively?” The answers are as sobering as they are enlightening, because there are no viable alternatives given. The earlier everyone realize this, the sooner we can start building the EU army). The latter has already been communicated several times under US President Barack Obama without the EU having reacted to it, so that today it is once again driven rather than acting in time (Trump, however, has misunderstood a lot here too, saying that some NATO members “owe money” to the US for failing to meet their self-imposed targets of 2% of GDP as a defense budget, which is of course utter nonsense. Even if the countries reach the 2% budget, the US weapon industry wouldn’t benefit, but European manufacturers only). This has a negative impact on a credible foreign policy, because without military relevance no the problems and challenges in the Levant and North Africa can be solved, especially not when the EU need to take over the role of the US (which isolates itself in breathtaking speed under #45, thereby marginalizing itself and thus endangering vital self-interests/the national security without necessity. In this case, the enemy of the US is sitting in the White House) because of pure self-interests in the regions and to pacify and contribute to an economic upturn in order to be able to curb future expected refugee flows, especially from Central Africa (Die Zeit, 17 November 2017: Transatlantic Relations: Superpower EU? No thank you!, The Guardian, 10 June 2018: Vladimir Putin says he is willing to meet Trump at summit, The Guardian, 10 June 2018: Macron is reviving France and calling Merkel’s bluff on European reform, The Guardian, 25 June 2018: Nine EU states sign off on joint military intervention force, New York Times, 14 January 2019: Trump discussed pulling U.S. from NATO, aides say amid new concerns over Russia, Washington Times, 5 July 2019: Joe Biden: There will be ‘no more NATO’ if Donald Trump is reelected, Jerusalem Post, 7 July 2019: NATO no more? Biden says Trump will lead to the organization’s implosion, The Guardian, 17 December 2019: Visiting the US? The government is reading your old Facebook posts).