An infamous 2019 phone conversation in which President Donald Trump tried to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into investigating the Bidens is apparently far from the only worrying phone conversation between Trump and foreign leaders. According to a new report from longtime journalist Carl Bernstein published via CNN, during phone conversations with foreign leaders, Trump was “so consistently unprepared for discussion of serious issues” and, among other problems, “so abusive to leaders of America’s principal allies” that top officials concluded “that the President himself posed a danger to the national security of the United States.” Trump displayed some of his harshest bullying in conversations with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the now former U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May, both of whom are longtime U.S. allies.
New, alarming reporting by CNN's @CarlBernstein: Trump's handling of highly classified calls with foreign heads of state helped convince some senior US officials "that the President himself posed a danger to the national security of the United States." https://t.co/zppF95cYeb
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) June 29, 2020
Trump’s treatment of Merkel and May was described as “near-sadistic” by one source for CNN. Bernstein explains, based on conversations with sources, that Trump’s conversations with the U.K.’s PM May in particular have been described ‘as “humiliating and bullying,” with Trump attacking her as “a fool” and spineless in her approach to Brexit, NATO and immigration matters.’ One source explained:
‘He’d get agitated about something with Theresa May, then he’d get nasty with her on the phone call. It’s the same interaction in every setting — coronavirus or Brexit — with just no filter applied.’
Trump “clearly intimidated [May] and meant to,” one source for CNN added.
Remember — this is the president of the United States under consideration here. The CNN report outlining his belligerent behind-the-scenes behavior in interactions with foreign leaders essentially establishes that the spectacle he puts on at campaign rallies is definitely not any kind of “persona.” It’s not an “act.” Trump is “leading” the United States in line with whatever he thinks boosts his ego, even if that means harshly going after foreign allies of the U.S.
The consequences of attacking the Ukraine whistleblower: concerned officials go to the media instead of proper channels. When you take away the proper route through vindictive retribution, you cannot then complain about leaks. https://t.co/gIj5sWTfPq
— Daniel Goldman (@danielsgoldman) June 30, 2020
As for Germany’s Merkel, one source revealed to CNN that Trump at one point called her “stupid” amidst his angry diatribes against her.
The source explained:
‘Some of the things he said to Angela Merkel are just unbelievable: he called her ‘stupid,’ and accused her of being in the pocket of the Russians… He’s toughest [in the phone calls] with those he looks at as weaklings and weakest with the ones he ought to be tough with.’
During her interactions with the president, Merkel “regularly countered his bluster with recitations of fact,” Bernstein summarizes. Because of what one source described as the “problematic” nature of the interactions, the number of German officials privy to the contents has been made small.
It’s pathetic for the president of the United States to behave in this fashion; it’s demeaning to every American who puts in daily work to secure their livelihood. While officials and everyday Americans around the country work to solve problems like the Coronavirus pandemic, police brutality, and more, the useless excuse for a president otherwise known as Donald Trump sits around at the White House and tweets insults — and, apparently, insults U.S. allies on the phone when foreign heads of state are unlucky enough to have a conversation with the so-called president.
