President Trump was seated in the Oval Office on Thursday, spontaneously attempting to dispel the notion that he had a close relationship with Russia.
“I don’t have any friends,” Mr. Trump told reporters during a press conference. Then, he grinned and pointed to the man next to him.
“Except for you,” he said to Friedrich Merz.
Mr. Merz, the new chancellor of Germany, chuckled. It was clear by that point that he had passed his test with the unpredictable American president, who has publicly berated other foreign dignitaries and has not hidden his dislike for the leaders of Germany, his ancestral homeland.
On Thursday, Mr. Trump and Mr. Merz appeared to be on friendly terms from the beginning. It helps that Mr. Merz fits the mold of other leaders Mr. Trump has praised during White House meetings, such as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Mr. Merz is tall, speaks excellent English, and comes from a business background. He even gave Mr. Trump a copy of his grandfather’s German birth certificate, which the president deemed “fantastic” and promised to display in a place of honor. Mr. Trump then seemed to view Mr. Merz as a representation of his ideal image of Germany.
“I want to welcome you to the Oval Office. It’s an Oval Office that’s in great shape,” Mr. Trump said. “We like to fix things up and have them in top condition, just like they do in Germany.”
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