NEED TO KNOW
President Donald Trump confused German Chancellor Friedrich Merz when he described the Allies’ 1944 invasion of Nazi-controlled Normandy as “not a great day.”
“Well, in the long run, Mr. President, this was the liberation of my country from Nazi dictatorship,” Merz clarified, referencing the positive impact of D-Day.
The Oval Office moment was the latest of a number of surprising interactions with foreign leaders since Trump took office.
President Donald Trump made a verbal stumble when meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House, calling D-Day “not a great day” on live TV. The chancellor quickly corrected him.
“May I remind you that we are having June 6th tomorrow,” Merz, 69, initially said as they discussed the war in Ukraine, which began when Russia invaded the smaller country in February 2022, with no provocation. The chancellor drew similarities between Russia’s invasion and World War II, in which the United States played a major role in ending the war.
“This is D-Day anniversary when the Americans once ended the war in Europe,” he continued, referencing the invasion of Normandy in 1944, which helped usher in the Allies’ victory months later. “And I think this is in your hands, specifically, in ours.”
“That was not a pleasant day for you?” interrupted Trump, 78, before turning to the cameras and adding, “This was not a great day.”
“Well, in the long run, Mr. President, this was the liberation of my country from Nazi dictatorship,” Merz responded of D-Day.
“That’s true,” responded Trump.
“We know that we owe you,” Merz said. “But this is the reason why I’m saying that America is again in a very strong position to do something on this war and ending this war. So, let’s talk about what we can do jointly.”
Merz noted that Germany has given support to Ukraine and that the European Union wants to put more pressure on Russia.
The moment was much less heated than some of Trump’s other meetings with other foreign leaders and dignitaries since taking office in January.
During the meeting – which centered around the Ukraine war, as well as defense spending and tariffs – Trump expressed doubt that peace talks between the warring countries would be successful, The Guardian reported.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty; Michael Kappeler/picture alliance/Getty
The German Chancellor at the White House on Thursday, June 5.
“Sometimes you see two young children fighting like crazy,” Trump said, referring to Russia and Ukraine.
But the president did say he will continue to ensure America offers its support to the beleaguered nation and had asked Russian President Vladimir Putin not to retaliate after Ukraine’s recent drone attack, according to the paper.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
According to The Guardian, Merz reminded Trump that he is “the key person in the world who can really [stop the war] by putting pressure on Russia.”
The president’s support of Ukraine has been in question since before his reelection because of his vocal admiration for Putin — and after publicly shouting at Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his visit to the White House in February.
Read the original article on People
