For America’s European allies, Trump’s first 100 days a time of reckoning, backlash

Normandy, France — The heroic D-Day landings in Normandy marked the start of the tip of World Conflict II, the place 1000’s of the Individuals who fell within the assault nonetheless relaxation in graves in northwestern France.

It was the sacrifice of the American and European Allied troopers throughout the Normandy Invasion, and naturally their nice victory over the Nazis, that shaped the bedrock of an alliance that has stood agency for greater than 80 years.

Then, nonetheless, got here President Trump’s rhetoric and the ensuing tariff battle.

“Europe has been very, very unhealthy for us,” Mr. Trump instructed reporters final month. “Europe has taken our leaders for a trip. They do not take our automobiles. They do not take our meals merchandise. They do not take something…The European Union was shaped for one purpose. You understand what that was? To tear off america. So, put that in your bonnet.”

Europeans have been shocked and insulted by the president’s actions within the first 100 days of his second time period.

Vincent Dampt is a fourth-generation Burgundy winemaker who’s proud to promote Chablis wine to the U.S. at a good value.

“I am going typically to USA to go to them, the shoppers, make them uncover my wines,” Dampt instructed CBS Information.

However the Trump administration’s on-again, off-again tariffs have been an enormous headache to his enterprise.

“As a result of we work in a career the place it is necessary to have one thing that’s steady,” Dampt stated.

This spring, Mr. Trump saved altering his thoughts on tariffs on French wine. First, it was going to be positioned underneath what would have been a catastrophic 200% tariff. That was adopted with a 20% tariff menace, after which lastly, the president selected 10%, however simply till July. It is unclear what is going to occur after that.

The underside line for Dampt is that any tariff will damage his clients and his gross sales.

Trumpian uncertainty hasn’t simply undermined commerce, it is shaken the nice North Atlantic Treaty Group too, as amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Mr. Trump has persistently argued that NATO’s European members want to extend their protection spending.

“If they do not pay, I am not going to defend them,” Mr. Trump just lately instructed reporters.

Camille Grand with the European Council on International Relations says the president has a degree in regards to the transatlantic navy alliance.

“On some points, primarily, he is proper,” Grand stated. “You understand, the Europeans ought to spend extra on protection, needs to be rather more critical on protection.”

The Europeans know that, and they’re spending extra on all the things from coaching to weapons. However they concern that the Trump administration might abandon them anyway.

“What’s troubling is the actual fact that there’s a doubt on the robustness of the alliance as seen from Washington,” Grand stated.

Grand says that the “notion of many Europeans” is that Europe is extra dedicated to its relationship with the U.S. than the opposite approach round, and concern that Mr. Trump has undermined one of many biggest alliances in fashionable historical past.