The outcome of the first meeting between German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and US President Donald Trump was marked as much by what did not happen as by what did. Despite concerns that the president’s potential mood swings would hamper the encounter, as they had at recent oval office visits that went off the rails, this one was essentially an opportunity for two men to introduce themselves to each other. The last-minute shift in the meeting’s sequence, with the Oval Office meeting coming before the lunch, caught Chancellor Merz by surprise—as planned. But Merz was able to watch Trump for most of the time as the press asked the president questions having nothing to do with the chancellor’s visit.
The Absence of Conflict Is a Win | German Marshall Fund of the United States
