President Donald Trump allegedly threw two pieces of Starburst candies on the table in front of German Chancellor Angela Merkel during his meeting with G-7 leaders, saying “Here, Angela. Don’t say I never give you anything,” Newsweek informs.
The exchange was described on CBS News by Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer, shedding further light on the tense atmosphere depicted in the now famous photograph of the meeting, in which Trump appears with his arms crossed and a defiant scowl across his face.
The annual G-7 meeting, which brings together the leaders or representatives of the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan, was held in Canada from June 8-9. Trump had decided to arrive late and leave early, and he ultimately refused to sign the joint communiqué that the G-7 leaders sign each year.
The German Chancellor had called Trump’s decision “sobering and a little depressing,” while French President Emmanuel Macron had also referred to “fits of anger” when describing the meeting. However, Bremmer’s account depicts an even clearer picture of how terrible Trump’s relationship with Merkel and other U.S. allies is, Newsweek adds.
“It was at this point, towards the end of the summit, that Chancellor Merkel of Germany and Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada got together with some of the allies and really wanted to press Trump directly to sign the communiqué, that talked about the commitment to a rules-based international order. Trump was sitting there with his arms crossed, clearly not liking the fact that they were ganging up on him. He eventually agreed and said OK he’ll sign it. And at that point, he stood up, put his hand in his pocket, his suit jacket pocket, and he took two Starburst candies out, threw them on the table and said to Merkel, ‘Here, Angela. Don’t say I never give you anything’,” Bremmer described to CBS.
“The relationship is about as dysfunctional as we’ve seen between America and its major allies since the trans-Atlantic relationship really started after World War II,” Bremmer continued, The Hill reports.
Following the meeting, Trump not only refused to sign the communique but also lashed out at Canada’s prime minister on Twitter over his country’s trade policy. The U.S. President also showed increasing disdain for Merkel, using an internal dispute within her party this week to criticize Germany’s immigration policy.
Be the first to comment