U.S. President Donald Trump decried European leaders as weak and clueless, prompting a swift counter‑statement from EU officials, including the European Commission and national prime ministers.
EU officials counter Trump’s criticism
Donald Trump told Politico that European leaders are “weak” and “don’t know what to do”. He decried the region’s governments and alleged a lack of effective migration control, claiming that some countries would cease to be livable if they changed policy.
European leaders defend their governance
Within minutes of Trump’s remarks, EU leaders issued a unified statement. The European Commission praised its leaders, highlighting Commissioner von der Leyen’s ability to guide the bloc through challenges, and thanked many heads of state for their stewardship.
Trump’s latest rebuke targets platform regulations
Politico quoted Trump as attacking the EU Commission’s fine on Elon Musk’s X platform, calling the decision “horrible” and demanding a full report. He questioned how European regulators justify the sanction and warned Europe is moving in the wrong direction.
EU cites transparency breaches in sanctioning X
EU officials argue the fine was imposed because X violated content‑transparency rules, denied access to public data, failed to maintain a complete ads register, and used misleading blue‑badge verification mechanisms. Trump’s aides described the penalty as an attack on U.S. tech firms.
