Barely a year and a half after his return to power, Donald Trump has managed to alienate almost all of his European partners. The rift between the two shores of the Atlantic, which had already widened due to the Greenland affair, has deepened further with the war in Iran.
Donald Trump is angry and isolated. Two months after the start of the war against Iran, the American president is attacking anyone who dares to criticize his operations or hesitates to help him achieve his ambitions in the Middle East.
The latest victim of the Republican’s verbal outbursts is the German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz. While some accused him of being too accommodating towards the American president, the conservative took the risk of portraying an America without “any strategy” and “humiliated” by Tehran.
Germany punished?
Donald Trump’s sharp response did not take long. On his Truth network, Donald Trump criticized a German Chancellor who, according to him, should “spend more time ending the war between Russia and Ukraine (where he has been totally ineffective!), and fixing his country in ruins, especially in terms of immigration and energy.”
The American president did not stop at words, as the Pentagon announced shortly after that it would withdraw around 5,000 of the 35,000 troops stationed in Germany within a year. “We are going to reduce much more, and we are reducing much more than 5,000,” he later threatened.
This withdrawal represents another blow to the Atlantic alliance, whose foundations Donald Trump has been undermining since his return to power by accusing it of not serving American interests.
On Friday, May 1st, Donald Trump also indirectly targeted Germany and its significant automotive exports by announcing his intention to raise tariffs on vehicles imported to the United States from the European Union to 25% “next week.”
Series of clashes
This new clash follows a series of disputes between the American president and European leaders who are accused of not contributing logistically or militarily to the Israeli-American offensive against Iran or the securing of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, practically controlled by Tehran.
Donald Trump expressed his disappointment with the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whom he deemed “very uncooperative” for delaying the opening of the Anglo-American military base Diego Garcia to American forces. “We are not dealing with Winston Churchill here,” the American president sharply remarked from the White House, undermining the “special relationship” between London and Washington.
Donald Trump also demonstrated disloyalty towards Emmanuel Macron, despite the French president offering to lead a future mission to ensure free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. However, Macron only intends to “unblock” this strategic passage “after the hottest phase of the conflict.” This stance prompted Trump to turn against his former “friend” by launching numerous verbal jabs at him.
“Friends” not spared
Loyal to himself, Donald Trump does not differentiate and attacks all those who dare to contradict him, including those who had taken care to flatter him. At the start of the war, Chancellor Merz was one of the few EU leaders to refrain from criticizing the American expedition, arguing that it was inappropriate “to give lessons to our allies.”
In contrast to Macron, who quickly cited international law to distance himself from the Israeli-American operations, Friedrich Merz stated that he was “on the same wavelength” as the United States regarding the need to get rid of a “terrible terrorist regime.” These words did not prevent him from facing the billionaire’s wrath.
“Everyone who tried to (appease Donald Trump) received their fair share of insults, just like the others. Everyone now understands that flattery does not work either,” noted a European diplomat cited by Reuters.
Donald Trump looking for “scapegoats”
The American president even managed to anger the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a leader with ideological positions close to his own whom he described as “fantastic” just a few months ago.
While she was seen as a bridge between Washington and the EU, the far-right leader ended up also turning her back on him. By distancing herself from the American operations in Iran and denouncing Trump’s “unacceptable” comments about Pope Leon XIV, Meloni triggered a sharp response from the American president who criticized her for lacking “courage.”
“Donald Trump realizes that he is losing on all fronts, both in Iran and in the United States, so he is looking for scapegoats,” explained Patrick Martin-Genier, a professor at Sciences Po specializing in European affairs. “Europe is not to blame for his failure, but the fact that it does not follow his orders irritates him,” added the author of “Does Europe Have a Future?” (Studyrama, 2026).
Since Viktor Orban’s defeat in Hungary, Donald Trump can count his European friends on one hand. Among those who welcomed his election, only Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico or Czech leader Andrej Babis remain. These sovereigntist leaders have been quiet since the start of the war in Iran and remain isolated within the EU.
Iran, the last straw?
The already strained relations between Donald Trump and the Europeans, damaged by threats of trade wars and the attempt to acquire Greenland, have been further strained by the war in Iran.
Europeans view this war, launched without consulting allies, with vague and fluctuating war goals, in a negative light. They also fear Iranian reprisals and, above all, the consequences of rising energy prices on fragile economies.
Several leaders also remember the invasion of Iraq in 2003, which plunged the region into chaos and sparked protests in Western countries. In the UK, the American intervention supported by London cost the lives of nearly 180 British soldiers. In Spain, the civilian population opposed their government’s support for the war and took to the streets to denounce it.
Finally, as local elections approach (local elections in the UK, presidential elections in France, and legislative elections in Italy), many leaders consider support for Donald Trump a deterrent for voters.
Diplomatic channel remains open
While Europeans stand firm against Donald Trump’s threats, most of them avoid direct confrontation with the leader of a power that remains essential on issues such as defense industry, trade, or the war in Ukraine.
Challenged by Donald Trump, Friedrich Merz pleaded for “a reliable transatlantic partnership.” The Chancellor also stated that the German army contributes to a strong and united NATO, especially on “strategic sites in Germany alongside the United States.”
Not everyone shares this moderation in the discourse. Since late February, Spain, under the socialist Pedro Sánchez, proudly displays its opposition to the war led by the United States and Israel against Iran, becoming a leading voice in the West against the American president.
/2026/05/06/69fb68ea979a1356761471.jpg "Why Donald Trump is setting records for unpopularity in the United States six months before the midterm elections")
