President Trump slams Europe for being “decaying” and governed by “weak” leaders in a recent interview that hits a lot of U.S. allies where he is particularly harsh.
On Politico’s “The Conversation” podcast, interview host Dasha Burns asked the former president about the state of his foreign friendships. Trump answered, “I think they’re weak,” adding that Europeans “want to be so politically correct.” He went on to say, “I think they don’t know what to do. Europe doesn’t know what to do.”
These remarks came not long after the Trump administration released its latest national‑security strategy, which warned that Europe is on the brink of “civilizational erasure.” The document cites the EU and other transnational groups as undermining political liberty and sovereignty, inflating migration rules that spark conflict, censoring free speech, cracking down on opposition, depressing birth rates, and eroding national identities and confidence. The warning rattled many European leaders, prompting figures like Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to remind Americans that “Europe is your closest ally, not your problem.”
During the interview, Burns pressed Trump to explain why European leaders seemed uneasy about the U.S. administration’s rhetoric. Trump’s reply was blunt: “They should be freaked out by what they’re doing to their countries. They’re destroying their countries,” he said, adding that he liked them, “I get along with ’em.” He went on to warn that some European nations were nearing a point where they could no longer “correct it” and risk becoming weak states.
Since Trump returned to the White House in January, many European officials have courted him with compliments and have aligned with him on trade to secure favor. In August, after the Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, six European leaders and NATO boss Mark Rutte flew to Washington to aid Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky before his meeting with the former president. The move was designed to give Zelensky critical backing after a heated Oval Office encounter in late February.
On Monday, leaders from Germany, France, and the United Kingdom met with Zelensky in London to discuss proposals aimed at ending the nearly four‑year war. Trump’s team has often pushed ideas that Europeans fear are too accommodating to Russia.
Without naming specific countries, Trump praised Hungary and Poland for stringent immigration measures. He said of Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orbán, “I just think he’s doing a very good job in a different sense on immigration. His country’s landlocked. One thing he’s really gotten right is the immigration because he … he allows nobody in his country.” He added, “But most European nations, they’re decaying.” The president highlighted Mayor Sadiq Khan of London, describing him as a “disaster” and lamenting the changes in London— and Paris. He expressed frustration at what he sees as the decline of those cities.
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