Trump said at the news conference that many countries owe “vast sums of money” – but he declined to identify Germany, at the time, as one of those nations. Prior to his inauguration, Trump declared NATO “obsolete” but has since modified his stance, telling European leaders the alliance remains of strategic importance. When the topic moved to trade, Trump said the US would do “fantastically well” in its trade relations with Germany. The US trade deficit with Germany was $64.9 billion last year, the lowest since 2009, according to the Commerce Department. Merkel maintained her composure when Trump repeated his contention that former President Barack Obama may have tapped his phones in Trump Tower.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer March 18, 2017 16:52 UTC